Love and Dreams
by teeney8040
Summary: Rachel moves into a new apartment and has a surprising new neighbor.  Eventual Faberry/Brittana
1. Chapter 1

A.N. Okay this is something a bit different that I've been working on. I hope you enjoy!

**XX**

Rachel Berry had always had a sixth sense. It had been both a blessing and a curse for as long as she could remember. It was her sixth sense at work the day she moved into her new apartment in New York.  
She'd gone to Julliard after high school as planned. She'd starred in off-Broadway productions until she finally landed her first Broadway show. Eight shows a week finally afforded her a beautiful place to live but the day she moved in she felt that sixth sense twisting at something inside her.

Part of her wondered if it was the building. She briefly entertained the thought of spirits reaching out to her, but then she got freaked out and decided that wasn't it at all.

She knew her sense had been dead on when she shook her new neighbor's hand for the first time. She was standing outside her front door as several movers with handcarts towed all of her belongings inside. The sound of a door closing to her left caused her to look up and found a man locking his door, his eyes fixed on her.

"New in the building?" he asked with what Rachel was sure he thought a charming grin. It made her stomach turn.

_What gave it away? The movers? The stacks of boxes being moved in?_ Rachel smiled and shook his hand. "Hi. I'm Rachel Berry."

"Richard Barstow," he replied.

"It's nice to meet you," she told him politely. She had to fight the urge to wipe her hand on her jeans.

"I live right next door so if you need anything come see me," he replied with another creepy smile.

"Thanks," she replied.

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "I hate to cut this short, but I'm a doctor and I have surgery in a few hours. It was nice to meet you."

"You too."

She did her best to smile though something deep down was telling her that he was not a good guy.

**XX**

"Well holy shit," came the greeting as she pulled her front door open later that night.

None other than Santana Lopez was standing on the other side of the door holding a bottle of wine.

"Santana?" Rachel asked, her eyes wide and heart thumping in her chest. "Not to sound rude, but what are you doing here?"

"My husband told me that Rachel Berry moved in next door and I almost dropped the phone," she replied with a grin.

Rachel couldn't help the grin at seeing her old high school…friend? Her eyes went wide as the other woman's words registered. "It was your husband I met earlier?"

"The one and only," Santana replied, internally wincing as her voice carried an inflection that shouldn't have been there.

Rachel nodded. It made her feel slightly ill to know the neighbor she'd met earlier was married to someone she knew. She suddenly remembered her manners and stood aside, holding the door open wider. "Come in, please."

Santana smiled and stepped inside, handing the wine to Rachel. "Welcome to the building." She hesitated a moment and pulled Rachel into a hug.

"Thank you," Rachel said with a smile. She led Santana through the apartment and back to the kitchen where she set the wine in the wine chiller next to the fridge. "Can I get you anything?"

"Sure," Santana agreed easily. "Whatever you have is fine."

"I'd show you around but I'm sure the layout next door is the same as it is here." Rachel pulled the large stainless steel refrigerator door open and pulled out two beers, sliding one across the granite countertop to the other woman who had taken a seat in one of the barstools at the counter.

"Is it weird that I'm not at all weirded out that you live next door to me?" Santana questioned as she took a sip of her beer.

"No weirder than the fact that you're sitting in my kitchen drinking a beer and it seems totally natural," Rachel replied.

"So how have you been?" the Latina asked. She gestured around them. "Obviously you've done well for yourself on Broadway. Chicago, right?"

"How do you know I'm on Broadway?" Rachel questioned with a flattered smile.

"Everyone from home knows," Santana shrugged. "Quinn was the one who actually told me."

It only took the mere mention of the blonde's name for all the air to be sucked from Rachel's lungs. She felt her heart hammering noisily in her chest and hoped she was the only one who could hear it. "Oh."

Santana smirked. "She's seen your show three times."

Rachel blinked. Quinn had been to her show? Multiple times? "She lives here?"

Santana nodded once, her eyes were focused on the bottle before her, peeling the label off slowly. "Yep. Kurt too."

Rachel regarded her carefully for a moment. "Brittany lives here too, doesn't she?"

Santana's head snapped up, her mouth open to retort something that was most likely cruel but she snapped it shut and nodded her head once.

"Have you talked to her?" Rachel asked hesitantly.

Santana shook her head. "No. Not since…"

Rachel remembered the day clearly. Like it was yesterday. Brittany and Santana remained close all through high school. They had a relationship all those years but Santana refused to acknowledge that it was anything but sex. Brittany began telling everyone they were dating senior year and Santana flipped. She told Brittany to leave her alone and they hadn't spoken since. To make matters worse, Brittany had torn her ACL in a bad fall off the stage at Regionals senior year and was told she'd never dance again. It was a dark cloud that settled over all of them that year, but the blonde had been particularly depressed their senior year.

"So what have you been up to?" Rachel asked as she slipped up onto a counter top.

"I graduated from Columbia law school last year and I've been working downtown pretty much since the day I graduated," Santana told her with a tiny proud smile.

Rachel's eyes got wide. "Wow. That's fantastic. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Santana replied.

"And you're married?" Rachel asked.

Santana's eyes flashed for the slightest second and she masked it with a wide smile that never quite reached her eyes. "We've been married for 3 years."

"It sounds like you have a really amazing life," Rachel told her.

"What about you?" Santana questioned. "Any hot male leads for you on Broadway?"

Rachel shook her head, an embarrassed laugh falling from her lips. "No. I can't keep a plant alive, let alone a relationship."

"I know the feeling," Santana agreed. "16 hour days are not kind to relationships."

"You should come to the show sometime," Rachel suggested. "I'll get you tickets if you want."

Santana smiled. "That would be great. I'd love to see it."

Rachel nodded. She dropped her eyes to the beer bottle in her lap as she traced the patterns on the label with her thumbs. "So do you talk to Quinn and Kurt?"

Santana had to smile and she nodded. "Kurt has his own line that he's debuting this year at fashion week. He has a little store not too far from here. And Quinn is a chef."

"A chef?" Rachel asked.

Santana laughed. "I know. She burnt toast in high school and cooks for a living."

"Is she doing well?"

"She's thinking about opening her own restaurant," Santana told her. "She's head chef at that place downtown, Curve."

Rachel's eyes lit up. "I've wanted to try that place for months. They say it's amazing."

"It is," Santana confirmed. "Maybe we can have dinner next week."

"Absolutely," Rachel agreed with a grin. She loved the idea of having someone in the city that she could get together with. She hadn't had any sort of emotional connection with anyone since she moved.

**XX**

**A.N. **I know it's a bit of a slow start, but it will get better, promise! Thanks for reading, let me know what you think so far.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. **Next! Thanks for reading!

**XX**

"Chill, Berry, you look fine," Santana mumbled as the two of them stepped into the trendy downtown restaurant. Rachel had been fiddling with her hair since they'd left their apartment building and it was beginning to drive Santana crazy.

"Mrs. Barstow, so nice to see you again."

Rachel turned and found the voice belonging to who she assumed was the manager of the restaurant.

"Hello, Peter," Santana greeted with a smile. She allowed him to grasp her hand and kiss the back of it. "This is my friend Rachel Berry."

His eyes went wide when he noticed Santana's companion. "Broadway starlet Rachel Berry?" He kissed the back of her hand as well. "It's certainly a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you," Rachel replied with a smile. "It's nice to meet you too."

He smiled and turned back to Santana. "Shall I seat you ladies in your usual booth, Mrs. Barstow?"

"Please," Santana agreed with an easy smile.

He nodded and led them both back to the corner of the restaurant that was more secluded and quiet and seated them in a section where more of the tables were vacant than used.

"Here you are, ladies," he told them waving towards the booth. "Amanda will be serving you tonight. Can I get you a bottle of wine?"

"Yes, thank you," Santana agreed and he nodded again and headed off.

"Come here often?" Rachel asked with a teasing smile.

"Q's a fantastic chef," Santana told her with a shrug. "Plus I want to support my best friend. We hold client meetings here a lot too."

Rachel's bottom lip slid between her teeth and she found her gaze settled on the table in front of her. "Does she know I'm here?"

"Nope," Santana replied. "But don't worry, she'll be thrilled to see you."

"I'm not so sure about that," Rachel responded.

Suddenly their waitress arrived and poured them each a glass of wine and took their orders. The table was silent for a minute after she left.

"Do you know what happened in high school?" Rachel finally asked.

"Between you two?" Santana wondered. Rachel nodded. "Not really. I know you two had gotten really close and then suddenly you weren't speaking. She went on the warpath after that if I remember."

"We were together," Rachel admitted softly.

Santana's eyes went wide. "Like _together_ together?"

"Eloquent, Counselor," Rachel teased with a smile. "Yes together."

"What happened?" Santana asked. She leaned forward, her hands playing with her wine glass. She was genuinely interested in what had gone down between the two in high school but the feeling of it was nearly too familiar. Nearly too painful.

Rachel shrugged. "Lots of things. Her parents got back together and her dad was a nightmare. But I think it all really came down to the idea of having a future with me. All her life she'd planned the big white wedding to the boy her parents loved and they'd have the house and the dog and kids. I guess living with her girlfriend in a tiny apartment in New York City while I paid my dues off Broadway didn't really mesh with those plans."

"That's bullshit," Santana told her. "Sorry, Rach. I had no idea."

Rachel shrugged. "It's in the past."

"Are you really okay with being here then?" Santana asked her. "If not, I get it."

Rachel shook her head. "It was hard back then but I'd really like to see her."

"Thinking of reconnecting?" Santana wondered with a smirk.

Rachel shrugged. "Is she seeing anyone?"

"Seriously?" Santana asked. "You'd want to try dating her again after she broke your heart?"

Rachel smiled. "I don't know. All I do know is that I miss her."

Their food arrived not long after and they chatted over mundane things as they ate, both finding it relatively comfortable in the others presence. The reminisced about high school and swapped stories about everyone from home and when they were finished Santana pulled the waitress aside.

"Could you send Quinn out when she has a moment please?" she asked.

The girl nodded. "Absolutely, Mrs. Barstow."

"Thank you," Santana replied with a smile.

"You're so different," Rachel commented. "Nice even."

"Yeah well you're not the pain in the ass you once were, Berry," Santana told her with a smirk.

Rachel laughed. "I'm glad we did this. It's nice to have someone here that I know."

"I have a hard time believing that the big bad Broadway star doesn't have swarms of people in the city that she knows," Santana commented with a raised eyebrow.

Rachel shrugged. "I may not be the pain in the ass I once was but I still don't connect very well with other people."

"I get it," Santana smiled.

Her face suddenly lit up as she spotted someone over Rachel's shoulder. Rachel turned and a gasp caught in her throat when she caught sight of Quinn approaching the table.

Quinn caught sight of Rachel in the same moment and her eyes went wide and she stopped short.

Rachel's eyes swept over the blonde as she took in everything about her appearance. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail with wispy strands teasing her forehead. Her black chef's coat hugged her body perfectly. Her face was only slightly older and her eyes still seemed to be able to penetrate Rachel down to her soul.

Rachel stood up and approached the blonde. The two of them took tentative steps towards each other and met just out of Santana's range of hearing, much to her disappointment.

"Hi, Quinn," Rachel greeted with a tentative smile.

Quinn smiled, her gaze trained on the dark chocolate eyes before her. "Hi."

They stood silently for a few long moments, simply staring at each other. Rachel's eyes glanced down to Quinn's left hand and she was relieved that there was no trace of a wedding or engagement ring. She grinned internally.

"Congratulations on all of this," Rachel commented softly, finally breaking the silence, waving her hand around at their surroundings. "You're a fantastic chef."

Quinn blushed. "Thank you. And to you too. Your show is amazing."

"Thanks," Rachel replied.

"Alright, you two, either speak up or get back over here," Santana called from the table where she was smirking at them both.

Quinn turned a playful glare on her friend, pointing a slender finger at her. "You, my friend, are in trouble."

"For what?" she asked innocently, a devilish smirk on her lips. She stood and pulled the blonde into a hug. "Hi."

"Hey, sweetie," Quinn greeted. "How was everything?"

"Amazing as always," Santana told her. "So I guess now is a good time to tell you that Rachel is my new neighbor."

Quinn's eyes got wide. "You two live next door to each other?"

Santana smirked. "Yeah. I've only had to call and complain about her rehearsing too loudly twice."

"It was three times," Rachel argued with a pointed finger in her direction. "And once I was in the shower. I still don't appreciate you calling me to complain and causing me to drip all over my new floors."

"Well then maybe you should invest in some better soundproofing for your bathroom," she shot back with a grin. "Or a shower phone."

"Acoustics in the shower are the best kind," Rachel told her. "A shower phone could be fun."

"Wow," Quinn mumbled. "I never thought I would see the day when you two would sound like a married couple."

"Teasing Berry is a habit that never gets old," Santana grinned.

"So," Quinn started. "Speaking of married couples. How's Dick?" It was clear by the way she said his name that she wasn't that fond of him.

"Richard is fine," Santana told her, shooting her a warning glance.

Rachel noticed the way all the playfulness and happiness seemed to drain out of the girl seated across from her when her husband came up.

"Be sure to tell him I said hello," Quinn mumbled with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm sure he'll send his love right back," Santana told her.

"So, I'm thinking of having a housewarming party next weekend," Rachel told them both, trying to alleviate some of the tension. "I'd like it if you could both be there. Significant others are, of course, welcome."

Quinn watched Santana for a moment longer before settling her gaze on Rachel again. The brunette was watching her with wide, expectant eyes and she felt hear heart seem to turn over in her chest with those eyes on her. "I'd love to."

Rachel practically beamed. "Excellent."

Quinn grinned and jutted a thumb over her shoulder. "I should get back."

Rachel nodded. "Of course."

Santana stood up, still obviously upset about something but she allowed her best friend to pull her into a hug.

"Love you, S." Quinn met her eyes when she pulled back.

Santana softened and nodded her head once. "Love you too."

Quinn set her eyes on Rachel again, smiling instantly. "It was really good to see you, Rach. Come back any time you want."

"I will." Rachel nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "It was good to see you too, Quinn."

Quinn watched them both as they headed towards the exit.

They had nearly reached the front door of the restaurant when Rachel heard someone call her name. "Rachel, wait!"

She turned and found Quinn jogging her way. "Is everything okay?"

"Do you want to go out sometime?" Quinn blurted out before she could even stop herself.

Rachel stood stunned for a moment. "Are you asking me out?"

"I am," Quinn told her. "I'd really like to go on a date with you."

Rachel blinked and finally nodded her head. She pulled a pen from her purse and reached for Quinn's hand. She slid the sleeve of her chef's coat up and wrote her number down on the blonde's wrist, knowing it would never last on her palm with all the hand washing she did when she cooked.

"Call me."

Quinn nodded with a grin. "I'll see you soon."

Rachel watched as she jogged back to the back of the house and she turned to find Santana watching her with a smirk.

"I guess this means you've made up?" she asked.

Rachel grinned. "All I wanted in high school was for her to take me on a date." She shook her head. "She never could. I guess things have changed."

"I'm happy, Rach," Santana told her as they stepped into the late afternoon sun. "I want to see her happy. You too."

"That didn't hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would," Rachel told her.

"No?"

Rachel shook her head. "I always thought seeing her again would break my heart all over again when really all I feel is the pain of missing her."

"You've thought about her a lot," Santana said.

The diva nodded. "Every day since that day." She shrugged. "I always felt like she was the one that got away."

"You can really forgive her just like that?" Santana asked. She felt like if Rachel could move past the crap from high school maybe there was hope for her and Brittany yet.

Rachel nodded again. "High school was a long time ago and we all made mistakes. I just really, really miss her."

"Well I hope you two can work it out," Santana told her honestly.

"Thanks," Rachel told her with a smile.

**XX**

**A.N. **Should I continue?


	3. Chapter 3

A.N. Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! They definitely motivate me to move on this thing. Here's the next part, I hope you enjoy!

**XX**

A few days later Rachel was standing out front of a dance studio near Times Square. She hated this part of town because it was the touristy part of New York that was always more overcrowded than any other part, but she was on a mission.

She pulled the front door open and stepped inside, smiling as she took in the sight of trophy cases and plaques with various students' names on them. She smiled at one photo of a dance troupe because Brittany stood with her group of students, her smile just as big as theirs as they celebrated a win.

"Can I help you?" a woman asked from behind Rachel and when the brunette turned, the woman behind her gasped. "You're Rachel Berry."

Rachel smiled and nodded, moving forward to shake her hand. "Hi. I'm looking for Brittany."

The woman's eyes went wide and she nodded. "Of course, Miss Berry. Would you mind if I asked for your autograph?"

Rachel shook her head. "Not at all." She leaned against the counter and signed the playbill for her show.

"Thank you," the woman gushed. "I'll get Brittany right away."

"Thanks," Rachel replied.

Rachel wandered around the small lobby and continued to take in all the things showing just how talented Brit's kids were. A squeal behind her caused her to turn. Before she could even open her mouth, a blonde blur was slamming into her and hugging her for all she was worth.

"Hi, Brit," Rachel laughed as she hugged her back.

"Rachel, what are you doing here?" she asked as she pulled back, holding the brunette by the shoulders to keep her close

"We've been living in the same city for a long time and I haven't seen you once," Rachel told her with a smile.

"You're a big star, you've been busy," Brittany pointed out. "Come back to my office and we can talk."

Rachel followed her back through several studios to her tiny office in the back. It was barely big enough for a desk and two chairs.

"Can I get you some coffee?" Brittany asked. "Or a bottle of water or something?"

"Water would be great," Rachel replied with a smile.

Brittany reached into the tiny refrigerator under her desk and pulled out two bottles of water, sliding one across the desk.

"You're awesome in Chicago, by the way," Brittany told her. "Your dancing has gotten almost as good as your singing."

Rachel smiled. "I've been working on it. Velma has some interesting moves. I wish I'd known you came to the show."

Brittany shrugged. "You're a big star. We're just the nobodies that followed you to New York."

"You're hardly a nobody," Rachel told her. "Your kids have obviously had a lot of success."

"I love it," Brittany replied with a smile. "I thought tearing my ACL was the end of the world in high school but things turned out for the best I think."

"You should be really proud of this," Rachel told her. "I should have come by sooner."

"Rachel, it's fine."

"I think part of me was worried that no one would particularly want to see me," Rachel admitted softly. "I know most people simply tolerated me back then."

"Not me," Brit told her. "I was your friend. I still am."

"That's really good to know," Rachel replied with a grateful smile. "So how long have you been here?"

Brittany shrugged. "I've had the studio for two years. I've lived here for 5."

"And you see Kurt and Quinn?" she asked.

Brittany nodded. "I see Kurt more than Q. She works nights, but I go by her restaurant when I get the chance. Have you been?"

"I have," Rachel replied. "I actually went a few days ago. With Santana." She kept her eyes on the blonde to gauge her reaction to the name.

"Oh." Brittany blinked, her smile faltering.

"She's actually my neighbor," Rachel said quietly.

"I miss her," Brittany mumbled before she could stop herself. She seemed angry at herself for the admission.

Rachel's eyes widened. "You do?"

"Of course I do," Brittany responded with a shrug. "She was my best friend."

"I'm so sorry, Brit." Rachel reached across the desk to squeeze Brittany's hand comfortingly.

"It's fine, Rach," Brit told her with a soft smile.

Rachel sighed and checked her watch. "I hate to admit that I can't stay long. I just wanted to swing by to say hi and invite you to a housewarming party I'm having this weekend. I hope you can make it. I'd love it if we could catch up."

Brittany clapped her hands together excitedly. "That sounds great. I'd love to."

"Quinn's coming," Rachel told her. "And I'm actually on my way to go see Kurt to invite him as well."

"Have you been to his store?" Brittany asked. Rachel shook her head. "He's amazing. You'll love it. Tell him I said hi."

"I will." Rachel handed her a business card with her home address on the back. "I'm thinking around 8 on Saturday. I'm taking advantage of a rare Saturday night off."

"I'll definitely be there," Brittany told her as she pulled her into a hug again. "It was really good to see you, Rach."

"You too," Rachel told her. "See you Saturday."

"Bye," Brittany responded with a smile and a wave.

**XX**

Rachel pulled her cell phone from her pocket and frowned when she didn't recognize the number flashing on the display. She slid the phone open.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rach, it's Quinn."

"Hi." She couldn't help the grin that stretched across her features.

"Hi. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Excellent. I just wanted to call to see if maybe I could take you to dinner this week. Or a late lunch. I know you have shows every night."

"Except Monday."

Quinn laughed. "Honestly, I don't think I could wait until Monday night to take you out."

Rachel laughed too. Her cab stopped and she handed a wad of bills to the driver and stepped out in front of Kurt's store. "I don't think I can wait that long either."

"How about Thursday afternoon?" Quinn asked.

"That sounds great," Rachel agreed. "You're still coming to my place Saturday for my housewarming party, right?"

"Of course."

Rachel grinned a wide, silly grin. "I'll take care of the dinner arrangements and let you know the details. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely."

"Great."

"I'm really looking forward to it, Rach."

Rachel smiled. "I am too."

"I actually have to run, but I'll call you. Okay?"

"Sure. Have a good afternoon."

"You too, sweetie," Quinn replied softly and Rachel felt a jolt of excitement from her head to her toes at the blonde's term of endearment.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Rachel stared at her phone happily for a moment before she pushed through the door of the small clothing store.

Rachel entered the store and smiled when several things caught her eye at once. She began browsing through the racks set up in the store.

"Can I help you, miss?" Kurt's voice asked from behind her and she turned to face him with a grin.

His eyes went wide. "Rachel Berry."

"Kurt Hummel."

He moved forward and pulled her into a hug. "You look fantastic."

"Thank you, you do too," she replied. "I love your line."

"Thank you," he said, a blush creeping over his features. "Come in, can I get you some coffee?"

"Sure," Rachel said with a smile. The pair headed to the back of the store where a small work room was set up.

Kurt poured two mugs of coffee and handed her one. "Not to sound rude, but what brings you to this part of town?"

"I come bearing two requests," Rachel told him.

"Alright," Kurt replied, completely curious.

"One, I'm having a housewarming party on Saturday night and I'd love it if you could be there."

"Absolutely. And the second?"

"The Tony Awards are in a few months," Rachel explained. "I was hoping to wear something from your line."

His eyes got wide, a grin spreading on his features. "Don't you dare toy with me, Rachel Berry."

"I mean it," she replied. "You set me up in high school, but seeing as how neither of us is pining after Finn Hudson's affection anymore, I can assume that my wardrobe is in good hands for that particular night?"

"Absolutely," he agreed.

"I know you have fashion week coming up too," Rachel told him. "So if you can't do it, I completely understand."

"It will be done," he told her. "And it will be stunning."

"Thank you," she grinned.

"Thank you," he replied as he pulled her into a hug. He knew exactly how big of an opportunity it was to have someone with Rachel's success wearing his design to the biggest awards night for the world of stage.

"So you'll never guess who my neighbor is," she told him as she sipped her coffee.

"Who?" Kurt asked, his eyes wide with excitement. "Kristin Chenoweth? Laura Bell Bundy?"

Rachel laughed, her head shaking. "No. Santana Lopez…well Santana Barstow now."

"Really?" he asked. "I had lunch with her about three weeks ago."

"Oh, I just came from Brit's studio and she says hello," Rachel told him with a smile.

"I'm having lunch with her tomorrow," he replied with a grin.

"I hate how out of touch I've been with everyone and we all live in the same city," she admitted softly.

"Eight shows a week have you busier than all of us," Kurt told her with a shrug.

"When I saw Santana the day I moved in, it made me realize how much I miss everyone from high school," she told him. "It definitely was the last little push I needed to reconnect."

"Well consider us reconnected," he told her seriously.

Rachel smiled and hugged him tightly. "So tell me, Mr. Fashion Designer, are you seeing anyone?"

He shook his head, one shoulder rising in a casual shrug. "I don't have the time these days to see anyone." He shrugged again. "What about you, Miss Broadway?"

She suddenly grinned, her face flushing slightly. "I actually have a date on Thursday."

"With whom?" he asked, leaning forward and propping his chin in his hand. It was so reminiscent of high school Kurt that it nearly stole her breath. She had missed them all so much.

"Quinn Fabray."

His eyes got wide again and his mouth dropped open. "You're dating Quinn Fabray?"

"Thursday's our first date," she told him. "We were together in high school but never technically dated."

His eyes narrowed playfully. "I knew it. The way she looked at you." He smiled. "I'm happy for you both."

"Thank you," she responded with a shake of her head. "And if there is anyone you would like to bring to the party, don't hesitate."

"I won't," he replied with a smile.

"And in case you decide not to, I'll be sure there are plenty of available men there for you to pick and choose from," she told him with a wink.

He smirked. "Well you've just talked me into arriving solo."

She stood up and laughed. "I should let you get back to work. I have to be at the theater soon anyways."

"It was really good to see you, Rachel," he told her.

She grinned and hugged him once more. "You too. And thank you for everything."

"You too. See you soon."

"Absolutely. Bye."

"Bye," he called as she headed out.

**XX**

A.N. So we have two more reconnections and the promise of a date in this one…I hope it was something you all enjoyed. More to come…sooner rather than later if I feel nudged enough (hint: reviews make me feel nudged) ; P


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. See? You nudge me, I nudge you back…

**XX**

Santana looked up from her laptop when her cell phone buzzed and she noticed she had a text from Rachel.

_I'm completely freaking out_

_-RB_

Santana frowned.

_Why? xS_

She waited a moment for the reply wondering what the hell Rachel was so worked up about.

_I have no idea what to wear…_

-RB

Santana laughed out loud, shaking her head as she got up.

_I'll be right over. xS_

Santana didn't bother to knock as she entered Rachel's apartment and headed for the master bedroom. She rolled her eyes with a smile when she heard music blasting through the apartment, though she was surprised when she didn't hear the diva singing along with it. Instead she found Rachel near tears sitting in the back of her walk-in closet.

"Rach," Santana coaxed softly. "Come on, it's not that bad."

"I'm going to look like an idiot and she won't want to date me," Rachel pouted.

"Sweetie, she wanted to date you in high school and your clothes back then were a train wreck," Santana reminded her with a teasing grin.

"You're not helping," Rachel pointed out, a scowl peeking through her pouty lips.

"I said I was coming over," the Latina clarified with a wink. "Not that I would help."

Rachel frowned, a defeated sigh escaping her lips. Santana rolled her eyes and went poking through the closet. She picked out a tight grey skirt and handed it over. "Here, you have great legs." She then picked out a sleeveless black top and a pair of black heels and handed them both over. "Get dressed and I'll do your make up."

"Thank you," Rachel told her seriously.

Santana nodded with a wink. "Wear that knee-length black coat that you have with this."

Rachel smiled gratefully and began changing once the closet door was closed behind Santana. The diva emerged a moment later and sat on the counter top while Santana applied her make up.

"I'm still freaking out," Rachel admitted.

"Close your eyes," Santana instructed and the other girl obliged. "Why are you still freaking out?"

"What if this is my only chance to win her back?" Rachel mumbled.

"You'll be fine, Rach," Santana assured her. "Look up."

Rachel set her eyes on the ceiling. "Thank you for the help."

"Don't worry about it," Santana said with a smile. "I still remember how happy you made her in high school. I want to see her that happy again."

"I'd like to see you as happy as you were back then," Rachel told her softly. "Don't look at me like that."

Santana rolled her eyes, effectively dropping her glare. "I'm not talking about this. Besides, tonight is about you and Q. Don't screw it up, remember?"

"Thank you for not allowing me the opportunity to alleviate some of my anxiety about my date tonight by focusing on your past love life," Rachel grumbled.

"Anytime, pal," Santana joked with a wink.

She searched through Rachel's hair products and squirted some mousse into her palm and ran her fingers through the other girl's hair, tousling it slightly. "It gives you the 'just been fucked' look without actually having been fucked."

"Um…thanks?" Rachel replied.

"You look totally hot," Santana told her. She made a twirling motion with her finger. "I want to see. Spin around."

Rachel laughed, sliding off the counter and spun in a neat circle. "Are you sure she'll approve?"

"She's gonna be drooling over you, Rach," Santana told her with a nod.

Rachel checked her watch and let out a shaky breath. "I should go. Thank you again. I'm buying you dinner next week."

"Works for me," Santana agreed with a smile. "Go get her."

The two exited the apartment and Rachel locked the door behind her. Santana gave her hand a squeeze as she passed. "Good luck."

"Don't wait up," Rachel grinned.

"I'm telling her you said that," Santana called after her with a laugh.

Rachel stepped on the elevator, then the reality of the moment set in. She was about to go on a real date with her first real love. She'd never been more nervous.

**XX**

"Hi," Rachel greeted as she approached.

Quinn allowed her eyes to travel the gorgeous form approaching her and a smile quirked her lips immediately. "Hi. You look stunning."

Rachel beamed. "Thank you."

Quinn nodded and leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek in greeting. "You're welcome."

"It goes without saying that you look beautiful," Rachel told her as they entered the dark restaurant.

The warmth enveloped them both and both found they were entirely comforted by their surroundings.

"Miss Berry, welcome," the man up front greeted her. He tipped his head to Quinn as well. "Right this way."

"Wow, star treatment," Quinn whispered.

"Gold star treatment," Rachel amended with a giggle.

Quinn smiled and took her seat once they arrived at a very secluded booth in the back of the candlelit restaurant. "This is really nice."

"One of my favorite places," Rachel told her.

They ordered wine when the waitress arrived and sat in comfortable silence as they looked over the menu.

"So how did you start cooking?" Rachel asked as she looked over the menu. "If I remember, you couldn't fry an egg in high school."

"I was terrible," Quinn admitted with a laugh. "I went to Europe after high school. I had no idea what I wanted to do so my parents let me backpack there for a year. I spent a lot of time in Paris and Italy and I basically ate my way through Western Europe. I gained about 15 pounds but when I came home I knew I wanted to cook. I was accepted into the Culinary Institute here in the city and basically worked my way up to head chef."

"That's really amazing," Rachel told her. "What's your favorite cuisine?"

"Italian," Quinn responded immediately. "I could eat pasta every day for the rest of my life and be perfectly satisfied."

"Wow, I guess I got lucky tonight," Rachel grinned.

"I'm so sorry about high school," Quinn blurted out suddenly. "I promised you that I wouldn't hurt you again and I did. I feel terrible about it."

Rachel paused. Quinn had gotten to the serious stuff quicker than she had anticipated and she needed to ready herself for the conversation that was coming. "Quinn, don't apologize for that."

"Rachel, I was terrible to you," Quinn said.

Rachel shook her head. "I grew up with two gay dads so I never really had to give much thought to being gay or straight. I was just allowed to be. I know it wasn't like that for you. I never took your feelings into consideration. So I'm sorry too."

"You are far more forgiving than I deserve," Quinn told her.

"Maybe the second time is a charm," Rachel joked softly with an understanding smile.

"I told my parents," Quinn admitted softly. "I couldn't hide it from them any longer so I told them about you and me when I got back from Europe and they disowned me again. I haven't spoken to them in seven years."

"I'm so sorry," Rachel breathed.

Quinn shrugged. "It's not your fault."

"No," Rachel agreed. "But I'm still sorry you had to put up with so much from them. You deserve better."

"Thank you." Quinn smiled softly. "If it hadn't been you and me it would have been something else that prompted them to kick me out of their lives. It's like they were just waiting for a good enough excuse. Beth was more of an embarrassment to them than they were ever willing to admit."

"I hate that you had to live with that," Rachel said softly.

Quinn shrugged. "We all had to live with things back then."

"What prompted you to tell them?" Rachel asked.

The blonde shrugged, a light blush spreading over her features. "It was strange. I never once even considered that I might like girls. It was just never an option. Then you walked into my life and stole my heart. I dated Chris Howard for a while after you and I broke up but it was never the same. I wasn't on fire the way I was with you. It never really dawned on me until I was at this little place in Italy and I was having drinks at the bar. This girl bought me drinks and flirted with me and she looked so much like you that I wanted to cry. It was in then that I realized I was into girls. But it was also then that I realized no one would ever measure up to you. I told them when I got home. They gave me time to pack and I haven't seen them since."

Rachel sat in stunned silence for a few moments, her eyes welling with tears. "It took me eight years to realize that I will never have with anyone what I had with you."

"So either we're both really pathetic, or we're kind of meant for each other," Quinn responded softly.

"The latter suits me just fine," Rachel told her.

Quinn nodded. "Me too." She took a sip of her wine and met Rachel's eyes, still feeling like they could penetrate her down to her soul. "I still can't believe you're here."

"I want to start over," Rachel told her suddenly. "I want to forget about everything that happened in high school and move on."

Quinn stared at her for a long moment. "Then be prepared for me to fall really hard for you. Again."

Rachel smiled and it nearly broke Quinn's heart. "I am definitely ready."

"Good." Quinn smiled as well and nodded. Her face grew serious as her bottom lip slid between her teeth. "I am too."

Rachel's breath hitched at the look in the other girl's eyes and a feeling washed over in that moment and she knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Quinn's admission that she was finally ready for Rachel after all these years was like music to Rachel's ears and she couldn't help the grin that slid over her features.

They sat there grinning like idiots at each other until their food arrived and they chatted about mundane things. It was then that Rachel decided to broach a subject she'd been curious about.

"What's going on with Santana?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Her husband…he creeps me out," the brunette admitted softly.

"Thank you," Quinn exclaimed softly. "I'm so glad I'm not the only one."

"I don't like him."

Quinn shook her head with a sigh. "When Santana and B broke up, S went a little overboard with school. Like she spent all her free time studying and she ended up graduating 3rd in our class. So she went to Columbia and basically threw herself into schoolwork to forget about the giant hole in her chest. B's injury senior year totally threw her too. She basically spent 5 years doing everything in her power to get over B. She didn't even date anyone else."

"She went from Brit to him?" Rachel asked with a frown. Her nose wrinkled. "Talk about downgrade."

Quinn laughed at the brunette's adorable facial expression. "She didn't pay much attention to anyone while she did her undergrad. They met at a bar. It was a Halloween party downtown. Me and S went and she went home with him. The rest is really bad history."

"There's something you're not telling me," Rachel pointed out intuitively.

Quinn nodded. "It's not really my place to tell you."

"She deserves to much better," Rachel mumbled.

Quinn gazed at her for a few moments, tears welling in her eyes. "That right there. That's why I love you so much." Her eyes went wide and a hand slapped over her mouth when she realized what she said.

Rachel grinned. "Sorry I didn't hear you. What was that?"

Quinn's head dropped, the dark of the restaurant hiding her blush. "One thing I've always loved about you is your willingness to forgive people. Santana was nearly as bad to you as I was and you forgave her without a second thought. You forgave both of us."

"People change," Rachel told her simply, her heart still thudding in her chest after Quinn's confession.

"She does deserve better," Quinn mumbled.

"Why won't she leave him?" Rachel wondered.

Quinn shook her head. "She has her own reasons. I know her parents are really traditional and don't believe in divorce. I think she's afraid that they might disown her or something. I told her it's not really that big of a deal." Quinn's lips quirked in a sly grin and Rachel knew she was kidding.

Rachel was silent for a few moments. "So Santana told me you're thinking about opening your own restaurant?"

Quinn shrugged. "I'd like to."

"What's stopping you?" Rachel asked. "Your food is phenomenal and you have some fairly successful friends in the city that could talk it up to generate a good buzz."

"It's a lot of money," Quinn shrugged.

"Santana and I could invest," Rachel suggested. "It wouldn't be everything, but it would certainly help."

"I could never ask," Quinn responded with a shake of her head.

"You didn't," Rachel pointed out.

Quinn shook her head again. "I'm not taking a dime from Santana until she divorces the bastard."

"Well, when she does, I'm definitely interested," Rachel told her seriously.

"Rach-," Quinn started.

Rachel shook her head. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

Quinn laughed. "Fine."

They chatted for a few more minutes until they got their check and once it was paid they headed outside. The night was cooling around them and they walked huddled together down the sidewalk.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked when she realized the blonde seemed to be leading her somewhere.

"Just come with me," Quinn told her as she pulled her along.

They came to a stop beside a small newsstand and Quinn pointed to it. "This is where I was standing when I realized you'd made it. Your face was on the cover of this art newspaper and the write up called you gorgeous and brilliant and the next big Broadway sensation." She paused. "I was so proud of you because you did everything you always said you were going to do. It may not have been Evita or Funny Girl or Oklahoma but it was Broadway and you were a star." She smiled wistfully. "I bought every one of the papers and sent one to everyone I could think of and I stayed up all night that night staring at your face on the cover. I was so proud but so pissed at myself because in high school I swore I'd be standing next to you when all of your dreams came true and instead I had to stand here and read about them because I was such an idiot."

"You kept your promise," Rachel told her simply, swiping at her tears.

Quinn frowned. "How can you say that?"

"Because Broadway was only part of the dream," Rachel explained as she reached for the blonde's hands. "The rest was me and you. And here you are right beside me when the other half of my dream came true. Just like you always said you would be."

Quinn gazed into the warm, chocolate eyes watching her closely and she knew her heart had picked up right where it had left off with Rachel in high school, the difference being that she was completely open to it and her fear was nonexistent. It shot a rush through her that weakened her knees and caught her breath in her throat.

She was ready.

Quinn noticed the brunette shiver and she smiled and reached for Rachel's hand. "Come on. I'll walk you home." She realized then that she never wanted to let the other girl out of her sight, but they needed baby steps. She wanted to do this right.

She _had_ to do this right.

Rachel smiled and sighed happily as a warm hand slid into hers and she led them towards her apartment.

Ten minutes later she had her back pressed to the door, Quinn's weight settled against her, pinning her to the wooden surface, their lips pressed together in a series of unhurried, deliciously serene kisses.

"Come in," Rachel coaxed gently.

Quinn smiled against her lips and pooled all her self-control for the next few minutes. "I shouldn't."

"Kissing me like that, you should," Rachel insisted, pressing her lips to the blonde's again.

Quinn found herself distracted by the soft lips pressed to hers and she sighed happily and wrapped her hands in soft, dark locks. She pulled away after a moment, pressing her forehead against Rachel's gently. "Rach…"

"Stay," Rachel whispered. "Come in and stay." _Forever_, she wanted so desperately to add.

Quinn smiled at the undertone of desperation and want on Rachel's voice and she cupped the singer's face in her hands and dropped one gentle kiss on already kiss-swollen lips. "I want to. More than you know. But we should take baby steps."

"Start slow?" Rachel agreed, mild disappointment coloring her voice and only a slight pout poking at her lips.

Quinn nodded, trying to hide the grin threatening to spill over her features at the adorableness of the pout on the other girl. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," Rachel murmured as she fisted her hands in Quinn's coat and pulled her close again. She kissed the blonde softly one more time. "Thank you for dinner."

Quinn nodded, a smile quirking her lips. "Can I take you out again?"

Rachel's lips spread into a slow smile and she nodded her head. "I'd love that."

"Good," Quinn replied, her gaze locked on those dark eyes again. She cupped the brunette's chin affectionately and winked, unable to resist kissing her just one more time. "See you soon."

"Good night," Rachel responded softly, suddenly cursing time for moving seemingly so quickly around them and coaxing the blonde away from her. She watched the blonde move down the hall, who glanced back every so often and once Quinn was on the elevator, Rachel leaned back against her door trying desperately to control the excitement and happiness that seemed to coarse through her.

They were ready.

**XX**

A.N. I hope you enjoyed! Up next, the big reunion. Lots of you have expressed interest about Santana's situation. It's coming too, I promise. It might not be next chapter but we'll get there! Thanks for reading! Keep up the fantastic nudging! ; )


	5. Chapter 5

A.N. And we're back! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time! Here is some Q/S friendship stuff to pass the time. Sorry it took so long to get this part up, I had a total block on the end of this part but really wanted to get it in before the party scene. I hope you enjoy!

**XX**

Quinn slipped her coat on as she exited the kitchen and stepped into the main dining room of Curve. She was headed for the front door when she suddenly caught sight of Santana sitting alone at the bar in the far corner of the room and she headed her way.

"San?" she called once she was close enough.

The other girl looked up with a tired smile. "Hey, Q."

"What's going on? Is everything alright?" Quinn asked as she pulled the Latina into a tight hug.

Santana nodded. "It's fine. Do you have plans tonight? I was hoping we could get a drink."

"No plans," Quinn responded. "A drink sounds great."

They exited the restaurant and headed to a smaller bar down the street that was much quieter. They tucked into a corner booth and each ordered a beer.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked once they were settled.

"Just tired," Santana replied with a shrug.

"Everything okay at home?" the blonde wondered.

Santana shrugged. "He's gone for days at a time now. He doesn't even try to hide it anymore."

"Leave him," Quinn sighed. She was tired of having this conversation. "You deserve so much better."

"I can't," Santana admitted with a sigh of her own.

"Why?" Quinn pushed. "Because if you divorce him it means that maybe marrying the first person you dated after Brit might not have been the best idea?"

"Do not use the B word in my presence." Santana shot her a glare. "And you know there was a lot more to it than that."

"I know. I'm sorry." Quinn took a sip of her beer. "I just want my best friend to be deliriously happy and in love like she was before."

"Divorced at 26?" Santana muttered. "That's terrible."

"So much of your high school self is gone, yet the part that stuck is the part that is entirely too concerned with appearances," Quinn said, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips.

"Honestly I don't care," Santana told her softly. "My parents will. I just know that it could be much worse than it is and part of me feels I'm expecting too much."

"You think it's too much to ask to be happy in your marriage?" Quinn asked her, a frown creasing her forehead. "Honey, that's completely crazy."

"So when are you going to let me invest in your restaurant?" Santana wondered, effectively ending that particular conversation.

Quinn stared at her for a few long moments and shook her head. "When you divorce him."

"Q," Santana grumbled.

"I'm serious," the blonde responded. "As long as you're married he's legally entitled to half of everything you own. I will not have him legally bound to anything of mine."

"I can have papers drawn up that will take care of that."

"No."

"Q, this is silly," Santana told her.

Quinn shook her head. "Divorce him and I'll let you give me all the money you want for my restaurant."

Santana laughed and nodded her head. "I don't want any complaints when your boss acts like a self-righteous ass then. I offered."

"You won't hear a peep."

"So what's up with you and Rachel?" Santana asked. She grinned when her friend's face instantly broke into a smile. She felt her heart ache a bit because she wanted that too. So badly.

"It's only been one date," Quinn told her with a shrug.

"But?" Santana prodded.

"But if she told me right this minute that she wanted to be mine forever I'd say yes without a second thought." Quinn dropped her head, a few silent tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Isn't that a good thing? Don't cry," Santana told her, panicking slightly. "I hate when girls cry."

Quinn shook her head and swiped at her tears. "I was so terrible to her. When we got together back then I promised I wouldn't hurt her again. Then I broke her heart."

"She still loves you after all this time," the brunette told her softly. "She's forgiven you for everything."

"I don't deserve it." Quinn shook her head, still swiping at her tears.

Santana shook her head, pointing a slender finger at her friend. "Listen to me, Quinn Fabray, you deserve every happiness in the world. If she makes you happy you better hold on and never let go."

"That's kind of my plan," Quinn told her with a smile. "You totally love her too, don't you?"

"Berry?" Santana clarified with a reluctant smile. "Yeah, I kinda do. She's learned how not to speak in paragraphs and I can go out in public with her and not be completely embarrassed by her wardrobe. It's actually nice to have her around again."

"It is," Quinn agreed.

"Why did I have to be such an idiot in high school?" Santana sighed.

"We were both idiots," Quinn corrected. "You can still make it right with her."

"I'm not sure I can," Santana told her.

"San, her studio is like 6 blocks from your office," Quinn reminded her.

"I know," Santana grumbled. "I walk by it sometimes in the afternoon when I actually have a minute for lunch."

"Hoping to accidentally run into her?" Quinn wondered.

Santana shrugged. "If it was you would you forgive me for what I did?"

"Yes."

"You're completely biased," Santana pointed out, rolling her eyes. "You basically did the same thing I did."

"Rachel forgave me," Quinn told her simply. "She'd forgive you too."

"Who, Rachel? She already did."

"No, she who shall not be named," Quinn replied with a scowl, hating that she couldn't even use her friend's name.

"Oh."

"You made a mistake," Quinn told her softly, reaching across the table to grasp the brunette's hand. "We all made mistakes back then. It's been 8 year since high school."

The pair sat in silence for a long stretch of minutes, both girls lost in memories and thoughts.

Santana sighed heavily. "Why didn't you tell me about you and Rachel back then?"

"I thought you'd disown me and make life hell," Quinn told her.

Santana frowned. "I was with B, why would I do that? You know that those of us at the top in high school protected our own. The hockey players never really got that concept."

"You hated her," Quinn pointed out.

"I was jealous as hell of her," Santana corrected. "I'm sorry you felt you couldn't tell me."

"Are you getting paid per apology?" Quinn teased.

Santana smiled, rolling her eyes. "No. But seeing Rachel again reminds me how horrible I was at times."

"Just at times?" Quinn teased again.

"Funny, Fabray," Santana mumbled.

"On occasion," Quinn joked.

"Seriously though, even after we got the hell out of Ohio, you still didn't tell me."

"I didn't really want to think about it," Quinn replied. "It hurt far too much to think about. Besides, I never thought I'd see her again."

"I get it." Santana sighed. "No more secrets though, okay?"

"No more secrets," Quinn agreed.

"Good," Santana nodded. "And no more make out sessions in the hall. I'm happy you're together again but I don't need to hear that."

Quinn's eyes were wide and embarrassed. "I'm so sorry."

"Thin walls," Santana reminded her with a smug grin.

Quinn's face scrunched up in embarrassment until Santana laughed. "You guys going home for Christmas?"

Quinn shook her head. "No, Rachel's dads are coming here. You guys?

"Not sure." Santana was quiet for a moment. "Think they've come around at all?"

"No," Quinn responded softly. "I don't think they ever will."

Santana let out a huff of a breath and shook her head. "Your parents suck, Q. I'm sorry."

Quinn shrugged a shoulder and let her fingers trace the rim of her glass. "I've thought about lying to them several times over the last few years. Telling them that I'm not really gay so they might love me again. But having Rachel back in my life, I know I could never do that. I know they're my family, but if I had to choose between them and Rach, it would be her every time."

"I think I'm going to stay here," Santana told her. "Maybe have my parents come out here this year."

"Maybe then your mom will get to know your husband for real and start begging you to leave him too," Quinn told her.

Santana rolled her eyes. "You know how he is, he saves all his charming for people that aren't me. My mother adores him."

"Gross," Quinn grumbled.

Santana reached out and slid an arm around her friend, squeezing her gently. "I love you, Q."

"Love you too, S."

Santana stood up and pulled her coat on. "I should go. I have an early meeting."

"Want to come over?" Quinn asked. "I hate that you're always alone."

Santana shook her head. "I'll be okay. Rachel's probably still up, I'll bug her for a while."

"Okay." Quinn stood up and pulled her coat on as well.

"I'll see you in a few days?" Santana asked as they headed for the door.

Quinn nodded. "Definitely. Have a good night."

"You too, Q."

Quinn pulled Santana into a hug and held her tightly for a minute. Santana would never admit it, but she was far more affectionate than she ever let on. And she loved when people hugged her. Well, she loved when people she _knew_ hugged her. They stood in the embrace for a minute before Quinn pulled back and gave the other girl a smile.

"Bye, S."

"Bye, Q."

**XX**

**A.N. ** So next we get to the party! Please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

A.N. Here we go again! Finally the moment you've all been waiting for. I'm warning you, it's kind of a low-key reunion, no fireworks or five alarm fires, but I have big plans for those two so please stay with me. Thank you all for reviewing and reading!

**XX**

Santana kicked at Rachel's front door a few times two days later, her hands were full and she needed access to the apartment before she dropped the boxes of wine glasses in her hands.

Rachel pulled the door open and she waved the other girl in. "Santana, I would have gotten someone else to do that."

"No big," Santana shrugged it off and set the boxes on the counter. "You won't let me do anything else."

"Want a drink?" Rachel asked. She was beyond nervous about the night for a variety of reasons and had started drinking to calm down.

"Sounds good." She watched Rachel as they moved to the kitchen and her eyes narrowed. "What's up with you?"

"I've never really had a party," Rachel admitted. "Well I tried once in high school, but no one showed up except Jacob Ben Israel, which meant it was over before it ever really began. I'm just a little nervous."

"How did you not go insane and take a machine gun to that place?" Santana asked. She hated to admit that it made her heart ache every time Rachel brought up bad memories from high school.

"I knew I would get here," Rachel told her as she set out two shot glasses and filled them with grey goose. "I knew everyone could say anything they wanted, throw all the slushies they wanted because I knew I would be standing right here."

"I bet I didn't figure into your plans," Santana said with a grin.

"Not exactly," Rachel admitted with a laugh. "Your presence in my life has certainly been a welcome surprise."

"You know the main reason I was a bitch to you because I was jealous as hell of you, right?" Santana asked as they took their shots.

"Jealous of me?" Rachel wondered.

Santana nodded, motioning for Rachel to fill the glasses again. "You're more talented than any one person should be allowed to be. I knew you were getting the hell out of Ohio and that was all I wanted."

Rachel smiled. "And you did it." She glanced at her watch. "Quinn should be here any minute."

"You guys okay?" Santana asked as she snagged a beer from the fridge and popped the top off, sliding up onto a counter top.

Rachel nodded, a silly grin spreading across her lips. "Definitely."

"Gross." Santana rolled her eyes. "Don't even think about getting mushy."

"Sorry," Rachel apologized, trying unsuccessfully to hide her smile. "So is Richard coming tonight?"

Santana opened her mouth to respond but a knock at the door cut her off and Rachel held up a finger as she headed for the front door and pulled it open to find Quinn waiting on the other side.

"Hi," Rachel greeted with a smile.

Quinn smiled as well and leaned in to kiss Rachel gently. "Hi."

"Come in." Rachel reached for her hand and pulled her into the apartment. "Santana just got here. Can I get you a drink?"

"Sure," Quinn agreed. She smiled when she caught sight of Santana on the counter in Rachel's kitchen and she approached her and they exchanged a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hi, buddy."

"Hey," Santana greeted with a smile. "How are things?"

"Good," Quinn nodded as she shed her coat and slid it over the back of a kitchen chair. "You?"

Santana shrugged. "Not bad."

"Alone tonight?" Quinn asked, an eyebrow rising.

Santana nodded. "He had surgery."

Quinn pinned her best friend with a look and Santana's gaze dropped.

"Well I won't miss him," Quinn told them both.

"Another drink?" Santana asked, changing the subject abruptly. She slid down from the counter and retrieved another shot glass and the bottle of vodka that was chilling in the freezer.

Rachel frowned as she sometimes did when she found herself in the presence of the two girls currently standing in her kitchen. She knew she was missing some vital piece of information but couldn't seem to get either girl to tell her enough to stop them from seemingly speaking code whenever they were both in her presence.

The girls took their shots and before Rachel could question either of them any further, her doorbell began ringing and a steady flow of people began arriving.

**XX**

"Did he really have surgery this time?" Quinn asked her. "Or is he sneaking off to see that slut?"

"Shut up, Q," Santana hissed. "We're not having this conversation in Rachel's kitchen."

"Don't get pissy with me because your husband is a lying, cheating bastard," Quinn told her.

Rachel took a few silent steps back from the swinging kitchen door and cleared her throat, clanging her bottles together in her hands noisily to announce her presence. She felt guilty for eavesdropping and it made her sick to think that Santana's husband was cheating on her. She entered the kitchen to find the other two women standing on opposite sides of the room not even looking at each other.

"Hi, guys," Rachel greeted tentatively. Sometimes she still felt like she was in high school and if she interrupted the girls in her kitchen she would get slushied or slammed into a locker.

Quinn turned to her first. "Hey." They both watched as Santana picked up her drink and left the kitchen without another word to either of them.

"Is she okay?" Rachel asked.

"Her husband sucks and she thinks I'm being a pain in the ass because I want her to leave him," Quinn admitted. "I just want her to be happy."

"I do too," Rachel told her. "I invited Brittany."

Quinn's eyes got wide, her mouth dropping open slightly. "Santana's going to flip."

"She won't," Rachel assured her. "She's going to be just as happy to see Brit as I was to see you. Even if she can't admit it."

"You're sneaky, Rachel Berry," Quinn told her, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Rachel shrugged a shoulder. "I know Santana's married, but to me she doesn't seem happy. Maybe she just needs to realize that there are other options out there."

"She'll never leave him," Quinn mumbled angrily.

"She might for Brit," Rachel replied. "Kurt's coming too."

Quinn grinned. "It's going to be quite a reunion tonight."

Suddenly the swinging door to the kitchen swung open and Rachel could feel the heat of the wrath before she even turned. Santana was watching her with fiery eyes. "How could you not tell me?"

"To be fair, I didn't tell her either," Rachel offered, her eyes wide.

"Berry!"

Rachel shushed her and pulled her into the kitchen, rolling her eyes. "She's an old friend who happens to live in the city with us. Why wouldn't I invite her?"

"I don't care if you invited Mary fucking Poppins," Santana growled, her glower darkening. "But you could have at least warned me."

"You wouldn't have come over," Rachel pointed out. "Be nice. You're not ruining my party. It's the first one I've ever had where people actually showed up."

Quinn was grinning like an idiot because the old Rachel Berry would have shrunk down under the wrath of Santana. Instead, Rachel brushed it off like it was nothing. It was clear that the two had formed a very solid friendship over the last few months.

"Were you in on this?" Santana turned her wrath on her blonde best friend.

Quinn shook her head. "Nope. I found out about 37 seconds before you did."

"You're dead, Berry." Santana was practically growling at the other brunette.

Rachel grinned and waved her off. "Tomorrow. Tonight I have to tend to guests."

Santana huffed off, heading for the balcony.

"That could have been worse," Quinn pointed out with a grin.

"Probably," Rachel agreed, grabbing her hand. "Come on, let's go mingle."

**XX**

About twenty minutes later Rachel pushed her balcony door open and closed it behind her once she stepped into the cooling fall night. Santana was leaning against the railing staring out over the city and she didn't look up at the sound of the door.

Rachel moved to stand next to her and leaned against the railing as well. "I'm sorry. I should have told you. "

"I'm still pissed," Santana mumbled softly.

"I know." Rachel nodded. She was silent for a moment. "If I ask what really happened between you two, would you tell me?"

"We lived in Lima, Ohio," Santana replied, practically spitting the words out of her mouth as if the name of the town left a bad taste in her mouth. "Small town, small minds. I was scared."

"Of what?" Rachel asked.

"I could handle anything they wanted to shell out," Santana told her. "I didn't give a damn what people called me. A dyke, whatever. But Brittany…I didn't think she could handle it. I didn't want her to have to. I did it for her."

"Does she know that?" Rachel asked.

Santana shook her head. "I knew if I told her she would manage to convince me that I was wrong. And I could never say no to her. Ever. I figured it was best for her. I was an idiot."

"She misses you."

"Don't," Santana whispered and turned towards the other brunette. "Please don't say that to me."

Rachel closed the distance between them and slid an arm around the other girl. "I know what happened back then was devastating for both of you, but she misses you. She misses her best friend."

"I miss her too," Santana admitted. "But I'm not sure it's that easy."

"It can be," Rachel urged. "Just go say hi. And if she gives you the chance, tell her the truth. You don't have to do it tonight. But you owe her that much."

Santana dropped her eyes to her drink as she stood pensively weighing her options. She met Rachel's eyes a few moments later and nodded once. "Okay."

Rachel smiled and turned to go back inside. She knew Santana would need a few minutes to gather her thoughts so she went back inside and found Quinn inside looking through her music collection.

"Find anything of interest?" Rachel asked.

Quinn smiled. "Honestly I'm just shocked it's not all musicals soundtracks."

"You're hysterical, Fabray," Rachel deadpanned.

"You love it," Quinn retorted with a smirk.

Rachel opened her mouth to reply but the doorbell cut her off. "You're lucky." She grinned when Quinn winked at her.

She moved through the apartment and opened the door to find Kurt standing on the other side holding a bottle of champagne. "Ms. Berry, you look stunning."

"Kurt Hummel, you always did know how to flatter a girl," Rachel replied with a grin and waved him inside. "Come in. You look fantastic."

Kurt didn't step through the door. Instead he reached to his left and pulled someone into view. Rachel shrieked when her brain processed that Mercedes Jones was standing in her doorway.

"Mercedes! What are you doing here? It's so good to see you!" Rachel pulled her into a hug and the three of them laughed like old times.

"Girl, my man Kurt told me you were having a swanky party this weekend and I just had to be here," Mercedes told her.

"You flew out here from Ohio for my party?" Rachel asked.

Mercedes shrugged. "Actually, I'm apartment hunting too."

"You're moving here?" Rachel asked excitedly. She pulled the two of them into the apartment and Quinn and Brittany quickly enveloped them into warm hugs. Rachel could only focus half her attention on her newest guests. The other half was watching Santana across the room. She was watching the reunion with a wistful smile and Rachel made her way over and grasped her hand.

"Come on," Rachel urged with a tug to the other girl's hand.

Santana fell into step with Rachel, taking a deep breath to try to calm her frayed nerves. She couldn't help but feel as if each step she took towards the blonde across the room was like a crashing wave of the ocean, lulling her own personal gravity towards the girl that owned so much of her heart even after all these years.

Kurt spotted her first and hugged her tightly. "You look gorgeous tonight."

"Thank you," Santana replied with a smile. She turned to Mercedes. "How have you been, lady? You look great."

"So do you," Mercedes responded with a hug. "Too skinny still, but beautiful as always."

The others pulled each other into long overdue hugs and chatted away excitedly. Rachel tired to subtly pull the group away from the former lovers that had locked gazes and seemed unable to look away.

"Hey, B," Santana greeted with a nervous smile.

Brittany swallowed and clenched her jaw when she felt her chin quiver. Santana looked more gorgeous than ever and it was hard not to fling herself into her ex's arms and never leg go. "Hi." She should have been beyond furious at the way the brunette had treated her in high school but in that moment, in Santana's presence, she felt like she was home.

"Quinn tells me your studio is doing really well," Santana told her.

Brittany nodded. "I lose my keys a lot and get locked out, but I love it."

Santana's heart nearly crushed in her chest at the appearance of her absent-minded high school girlfriend in the elegant, grown up woman's body. "It's really good to see you."

Brittany swallowed again when tears welled in her eyes. "It's good to see you too." Her eyes drifted to Santana's left hand. "You're married."

Santana fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her life suddenly seemed so backwards. Like she was living it all wrong. In the presence of the blonde girl standing before her all she wanted to do was drop everything and whisk Brittany away somewhere where she could spend the rest of her life making up for past mistakes. "Yeah."

"Is he here?" Brittany asked, her eyes unconsciously sweeping over the guests looking for someone who looked even remotely good enough for her ex.

Santana shook her head. "He had surgery tonight."

"Your husband is having surgery and you're not there?" Brittany asked with a confused frown.

Santana felt a wave of emotion crash over her at the familiarity of it all and a smile quirked her lips. "No, B, he's a surgeon. He's performing surgery tonight."

"Oh."

Suddenly the uncomfortable air was surrounding them again. "What about you? Dating? Married?"

Brittany shook her head. "I was dating my locksmith for a while. But then I got a hide-a-key."

Santana's breath was stolen again in that moment and she wanted to cry. Her knees buckled for a moment and her chin quivered. It was nearly too much.

Both girls looked up when the heard their high school friends all erupt into laughter. They exchanged an awkward, pained smile.

"I'm gonna grab another drink," Santana told her.

Brittany nodded. "I'm gonna go visit with everyone."

Santana nodded and watched as the blonde turned from her. "B?" Brittany turned back and set those eyes on her, she felt herself shiver. "Do you want to go get coffee sometime? I miss you."

Brittany stared at her for a long moment and she suddenly smiled and nodded. "I miss you too."

Santana smiled one last time and watched her turn again. She felt like her insides were on fire with a liveliness she hadn't felt in years.

And somehow she knew it was just the beginning.

**XX**

A.N. Again, I know it was kind of low-key, but I have big plans in the works for these two and Rach/Quinn so please stay with me here. Please review and let me know your thoughts. Coming up we have a S/B coffee 'date' and our first real good look at Santana's husband. Trust me, you want to be here for those two events!


	7. Chapter 7

A.N. Hi guys! Here's the next section…I know I told you we'd get a glimpse of the real Richard this time, but that will have to wait until next time because I wanted to keep that part together with something else. Sorry! Hopefully a Brit/Santana 'date' will help make up for it! Enjoy!

**XX**

The next morning Santana pulled her front door open to reveal a grinning Rachel standing outside the door with her newspaper. "Good morning."

"Morning." Santana held the door open wider and the shorter girl entered the apartment and shut the door after her.

"So, how did it go?" Rachel asked as the pair entered the kitchen and she took a seat at the counter.

"How did what go?" Santana asked casually. Truth be told, her entire being had been completely set ablaze with the thought of being around Brittany again.

"You and Brit," Rachel clarified. "Don't think I didn't notice the looks you two were giving each other all night. It was very clandestine."

Santana turned from the diva to hide the grin that spread across her features and she poured the other girl a cup of coffee. "We talked. Nothing clandestine."

"I saw you talk," Rachel responded, growing impatient. "What happened?"

Santana sighed and turned back to the shorter girl, sliding a mug of coffee across the counter to her. "It's still really strained. I know I broke her heart in high school. It was so familiar but so different at the same time. I wanted to cry."

Rachel could feel the hurt rolling off her friend in waves. "I'm sorry."

"I'm really glad you did what you did," Santana told her. "Regardless of what I said last night. I needed to see her. I just didn't realize how badly I needed to see her until I laid eyes on her."

"So you're okay?" Rachel asked.

Santana nodded. "I'll be alright. When are you going out with Q again?"

"Tonight," Rachel told her.

"I'm really happy for you guys." Santana smiled genuinely.

"Thanks." Rachel suddenly grinned. "I got tickets for everyone for the show in a few weeks. Kurt wants Mercedes to see it next time she's in town so everyone is coming and then we're all going to Quinn's restaurant for a late dinner."

"Okay," Santana agreed.

"I got you two tickets, I wasn't sure if Richard could make it," Rachel said.

Santana shook her head. "No offense, but he would rather have all his teeth pulled without Novocain than go to a musical. If it's possible I think he's the only person on Earth that literally hates music."

"He sounds fun," Rachel muttered before she could stop herself. She winced and covered her mouth with a clap of her hand. "I'm sorry. That was terribly rude of me. You know as well as anyone that the filter from my brain to my mouth sometimes goes on hiatus."

Santana laughed in spite of herself. "It's fine."

"You love music," Rachel sighed. "How can you stand it?"

Santana shrugged. "That's why God invented ipods." She pointed at the other girl. "I hope you have a fantastic dress for tonight after the show."

"I'll show you," Rachel told her and took off for her place. A minute later she returned with a little black dress and heels.

"Nice," Santana approved. "Thank God your taste has improved. I wanted to set your closet on fire in high school. This is much better. Q's gonna die."

"I'm not crazy am I?" Rachel suddenly asked. At Santana's frown, she continued. "In high school I was so desperate for any kind of human compassion that I convinced myself that I had a crush on Mr. Schuester. This isn't the same, is it?"

"No." Santana shook her head. "Rach, she loves you. It's not the same at all."

"Okay," Rachel sighed. "Good."

"Trust me, I'd tell you if this was the same as with Mr. Schue."

"Thank you." Rachel glanced at her watch. "I was going to run out to see if I could find some new shoes to wear with this dress. Do you want to join me? I have a few hours before I have to be at the theater."

"Sure," Santana agreed. "I'm always up for new shoes."

"Excellent." Rachel nodded and headed for the door. "I'll get ready and meet you back here."

Santana watched her go thinking about how different her life was. In high school she would have rather been hung from the flagpole naked than go shoe shopping with Rachel Berry. It seemed like everything could change.

**XX**

Santana paced around her apartment trying to quell the nerves that had flared up inside her since she realized her date with Brittany was edging closer. No, not a date. She was married. It was not a date. Then why did it feel like a date? She sighed and shook her head.

"Not a date," Santana repeated her internal mantra out loud to make it more real. She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. "Fuck it." She didn't care if she was early, she had to get out before she went insane.

Her husband was out of town for the week for a work conference that was being held in Las Vegas so she was sure he wouldn't be bothering her for the rest of the week.

She grabbed her coat and slid it on before heading out, locking the door behind her. She rode the elevator down to the lobby and waited a moment as a cab was hailed for her and she swallowed down the butterflies as she rode silently to the coffee house where she was meeting Brittany.

She grabbed a drink and found a table in the back of the shop and managed to keep herself busy checking her email on her phone. She glanced up a few minutes later and her eyes were instantly drawn to the blonde that had just stepped through the threshold of the coffee shop and Santana stood and waved a hand to get her attention.

Brittany instantly smiled but then seemed to think better of it and her face grew stoic again as she made her way to the table.

Santana instantly reached out to hug her but pulled back as Brittany stuck her hand out to shake Santana's hand. It was terribly awkward and Santana just tried to smile as she sat back down. Brittany dropped her bag under the table but her elbow caught the side of Santana's drink and sent it spiraling to the floor.

"Sorry!" Brittany apologized, an embarrassed blush erupting over her features as she stared at the puddle of coffee on the ground between them.

"It's fine, B." Santana frowned at how awkward things were between the two of them and she could tell Brittany felt the same way.

The waitress appeared to clean up the mess and they both ordered drinks. The girls were silent for a long stretch of moments, neither of them knowing what to say or do. Their eyes met several times but each time they both looked away immediately. It was as if there was a massive brick wall between them and neither of them knew how to break it down.

"Santana…this is weird, I should go," Brittany told her as she stood up.

"No!" Santana exclaimed, wincing at her outburst. She glanced around and found several people staring at her. "Please sit down. I need to explain something. Please?"

Brittany stared at her for a moment and finally nodded, slipping back into the seat across from the brunette gracefully. "Okay. Explain."

"I need to be honest with you…about what happened in high school," Santana told her softly. A few bricks fell off that wall with the admission.

"You didn't want to be with me," Brittany responded, her voice taking on a cold edge that made Santana want to cry. "There isn't much to explain."

"I lied to you," Santana told her. "I was terrified. I thought if we were out we would not only lose everything at school, our popularity and cheering, but I was scared to death that people would be horrible to you and I couldn't have that on my conscience. I did it to protect you."

"You obviously didn't think a whole lot of me," Brittany told her, hurt evident in her voice. "I know I said stupid things sometimes and got lost and lost my car and my wheelchair, but I was never as stupid as everyone thought I was." Several more bricks crumbled.

"I never said you were stupid," Santana pointed out. "Just that I wasn't sure I'd be able to protect you from everything I knew would come our way."

"Why did you have to protect me at all?" Brittany asked. "I've been living in this city for 5 years, Santana. Alone. I opened my studio on my own. Sure I get lost and still lose my keys and can't remember how to get home sometimes but I made it. Alone."

"You did, B and I'm so proud of you," Santana told her, desperation creeping into her voice. "I was a total idiot back then and I can't apologize enough for it. I just wanted you to know that it wasn't that I didn't want to be with you. I wanted that so badly. It was all I wanted." _And all I still want, she thought_. "I loved you more than you'll ever know."

"What about now?" Brittany asked after several long moments of silence.

"I still love you," Santana told her honestly. Nearly the entire wall had come down between them but there was still something in the way.

"But you're married," Brittany pointed out softly. That was it.

"I know." She sighed, her gaze falling to the table. She bit back the tears she felt burning behind her eyes.

"I still love you," Brittany told her softly, causing Santana's head to snap back up. "I miss you as my best friend too. I've missed you every day since that day."

"Could you ever forgive me?" Santana asked.

Brittany stared at her carefully for a few moments. "I want to, Santana."

"But?"

"But I gave you everything," Brittany said with a sigh. "And you took it all away without even talking to me. One minute we were the best of everything and the next there was nothing left."

"I know," Santana told her, a deep frown creasing her forehead. "I am so sorry."

"Let's just take it one day at a time," Brittany said softly after a long stretch of silence.

Santana smiled because she knew she had a shot. "That sounds perfect."

"I don't forgive you yet," Brittany told her.

Santana grinned. "I know."

The last of the wall between them crumbled and both girls could tell it wouldn't be long before their friendship was completely healed.

"Tell me about him," Brittany said softly as she sipped her tea.

"Who?"

"Your husband," Brittany said, her nose crinkling at the sound of the word rolling off her tongue.

"You want me to talk about him?" Santana wondered, smiling at the other girl's expression.

Brittany shrugged. She really wanted to know what she was up against. "You've been married 3 years?"

Santana nodded. "We met at a party."

"And?"

"He was the first person after you," Santana told her softly.

Brittany's eyes got wide. "The first person you…?" Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling as she began counting the years the other girl must have spent alone. Five. She counted twice to be sure.

"The first everything after you." Santana shrugged. "After you I buried myself in school. I wanted to make something of myself. I felt like maybe if I made people proud of what I wanted to become maybe they'd forget who I'd been."

"So what happened?" Brittany asked.

"I got pregnant about 8 months into things with him," Santana admitted. "Then I lost the baby. We stayed together."

Brittany reached a hand across the table and dropped it on the other girl's arm, squeezing gently. "I'm sorry."

Santana shook her head. "It was for the best. I'm not sure I would have finished law school."

"So is he funny?" Brittany asked, going back to the previous topic. She suddenly had to know as much as she could to see how she stacked up.

Santana shook his head. "Not particularly."

_I'm funny_, Brit thought with a smile. "Is he a good dancer?" the blonde asked.

Santana shook her head. "No. He's terrible. To the point of it being humorous."

"Like the bone?" Brittany asked as a light bulb went off in her head, as they sometimes did when random bits of information came together and clicked, actually making sense.

Santana laughed. "Like the bone." She shook her head. "Honestly, he was charming and kind at first. Now he cheats on me and rarely spends a night at home."

Brittany frowned. "That's terrible, S."

The only thing to make it hurt a little less was the old nickname of hers sliding off the blonde's tongue. That brightened her heart just enough to smile. "I've missed you more than you know."

Brittany grinned. "Want to have dinner sometime soon at Q's place?"

Santana nodded. "I'd love to."

"Just promise me one thing." Brittany's mood turned serious on a dime and Santana gave the blonde her full attention.

"Anything," Santana replied immediately.

"No more lies. Ever."

"Promise," Santana swore with a nod of her head.

Brittany grinned. "So isn't it totally weird that Q and Rachel are back together?"

"Did you know they were together back then?" Santana asked.

Brittany nodded. "Yeah. Q was really happy."

"How did you know?" Santana asked. "Did she tell you about it?" She felt only slightly hurt that her best friend didn't tell her but told Brittany about her relationship.

Brittany shook her head. "No, but I knew."

Santana laughed. "Of course you did."

"I'm glad they're happy," Brittany sighed. "I liked Rachel in high school even though no one else really did."

"I'm glad they're happy too," Santana agreed.

Brittany grinned. "You're really nice now, S." She gazed into the other girl's eyes for a moment. "I like it."

Santana beamed. "I do too, B."

Brittany suddenly stood up and pulled the brunette to her feet as well. "Come on, let's go do something."

"Do something, huh?" Santana questioned, her mind instantly going to places it shouldn't."

"Not that something," Brittany told her with a playful wag of her finger. "You're married, remember?"

Santana scowled with a roll of her eyes. "Please don't remind me."

Brittany laughed and pulled Santana from the café and in that moment it seemed as though everything between the two was going to be just fine.

**XX**

A.N. Well? What do you think about those two? Next time we'll really get a good look at San's hubby and some R/Q lovin' so we've got some good stuff in store. Please leave your thoughts. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N. **Enjoy!

**XX**

"Hey, sexy girl," Santana heard her husband greet her at the door to their apartment. The two of them happened to be heading into the building at the same time and he was grinning. She didn't need three seconds to figure out that he was completely drunk.

"Richard," she greeted with a half smile that barely reached her lips, let alone her eyes.

The doorman held the door open for them and they entered the building and headed for the elevator. As they approached, the doors opened and Rachel and Quinn stepped off, arms linked, both grinning and in their own world and the sight was enough to make Santana's heart ache in her chest. She was so thrilled for her friends but she wanted what they had so badly.

"Hey, girls," Santana greeted with a smile.

"Hi, San," Quinn replied with a surprised smile and a hug. Her eyes landed on Richard and the smile she'd been wearing dropped in an instant. "Hi, Dick."

"Forever Single," he greeted her with the same contempt that had been in her voice moments before. "How are you?"

"Not so single tonight, thanks," Quinn snapped back, barely disguising her distaste with him.

"Hi, Richard," Rachel greeted, reaching out to squeeze Quinn's hand gently.

"Rachel," he greeted, his eyes raking over her body rather hungrily. "How are you tonight?"

Rachel unconsciously leaned back away from him at the look in his eyes. "Fine, thank you."

"You two are on a date?" he asked, his head tilting to the side and his eyes narrowing slightly.

"We're on our way out," Quinn replied, glaring at him and smiling to Santana. "We have a reservation so we have to run. Dinner this week?"

Santana nodded, smiling as well. "You two have a good night."

"Bye, San," Rachel replied with a wave as she was tugged away. "Bye, Richard."

"Bye, S!" Quinn called, completely ignoring the brunette's husband.

"Did he really call you 'forever single?" Rachel asked as they got into the back of a cab.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "He calls me Forever Single Fabray."

"He's such an asshole," Rachel muttered.

Quinn laughed, her mood instantly brightening. "You're are probably the single cutest thing on the planet when you swear."

**XX**

"I didn't know Rachel Berry was a dyke," Richard commented as he hung his coat up on the rack next to the front door.

Santana rounded on him in an instant, her face clouding and eyes darkening. "What the hell did you just call her?"

Richard's face shifted from curious to sinister in a second. "I called her a dyke. Is that a problem for you?"

"Yes it's a problem for me," Santana told him with a glare. "What the hell is your problem with it?"

"My problem," he started as he took a few steps towards her, his huge frame nearly towering over her, "is that it's completely ridiculous."

She backed up a step and turned, heading for the fridge where she pulled out two beers and popped the tops off them. He was always easier to get along with when he was drunk and his buzz had obviously worn off. "What's so ridiculous about it?"

"Two women, no man," he explained as if it was the stupidest question he'd ever heard.

Santana rolled her eyes as she approached him. "So your issue is that it emasculates you to think that two girls can get off without a guy? You are such an asshole sometimes."

He grabbed her by her arms so quickly that she dropped both the bottles in her hands and let out a surprised gasp. He pulled her close, so his nose was inches from hers and he nearly growled at her. "Do not ever speak to me like that again. You are my wife and you will respect me." His eyes narrowed and he dug his fingers into her arms.

Hard.

Santana winced but was so shocked that she simply nodded her head and he released her with enough of a shove that she fell backwards on her ass in the puddle of beer that had formed at her feet.

He headed for the door and tugged his coat from the rack. "I'll be back tomorrow. Clean up that mess."

**XX**

Rachel and Quinn arrived about twenty minutes before their reservation and the restaurant was absolutely packed. The pair checked in with the hostess and headed for the bar, Rachel sliding into the last seat available and Quinn squeezing in to stand next to her and placed their drink order.

"I can't believe how cold it is out there," Rachel commented.

"Do you really think I could do this?" Quinn asked suddenly.

Rachel raised an eyebrow at the subject change but nodded emphatically. "Absolutely. You would be amazing. You are amazing."

Quinn smiled, her eyes lingering on Rachel's lips for the slightest moment. "You're so beautiful."

Rachel laughed. "Okay, random subject changes are your thing tonight apparently."

Quinn's head dropped and she blushed. "Sorry. I'm nervous."

Rachel reached out and grasped one of the blonde's hands in both of hers. "Why? It's not like it's our first date or anything."

"I know," Quinn breathed. "Honestly?" Her gaze met Rachel's dead on. "I want to take you home after dinner."

Rachel felt her heart flutter in her chest and her mouth went dry. "Oh."

Quinn's eyes dropped to Rachel's lips again for a moment as she smiled. "See? Nervous."

"You shouldn't be," Rachel said, her voice soft. "It's just you and me."

"That's exactly why I am so nervous," Quinn told her. "Us together again has literally been a dream come true and I want everything to be perfect."

"It will be," Rachel insisted gently. "Because it's you and me."

Quinn swallowed and her bottom lip slid between two rows of perfect teeth as she gazed at the girl before her. Suddenly she felt emotion stir inside her and swell up like she was about to explode. "I love you."

Rachel's eyes went wide and a smile quirked her lips. "I love you too."

Quinn leaned in and dropped a kiss to her lips. "I really wish we weren't here right now."

"So let's go," Rachel murmured against her lips. "I'm not hungry anyways."

Quinn leaned back enough to meet her eyes and nodded, grabbing her hand and pulling her from the restaurant.

**XX**

The moment Quinn's front door was locked Rachel pressed her against it and kissed her hard. Her hands were suddenly wrapping in silky blonde locks and she felt impatient hands tugging on her coat. She dropped her hands to help unbutton the coat and cursed when she had to release Quinn's lips to get the damn thing off.

Once it was unbuttoned she flung it off, not registering that it flung against a wall across the room somewhere. She slid her hands beneath Quinn's jacket and slid it from slender shoulders, momentarily cursing her lack of foresight for not thinking to unbutton her coat on the elevator ride up to the fourth floor like Quinn apparently had.

Hands were on her hips and lips were on her neck causing all rational thought to be swept out of her head and she managed to shut enough of her brain off to only focus on the sensations that Quinn's mouth and hands had her nearly drowning in.

Soft hands were suddenly wrapped around her, gently tugging on the zipper of her dress. Her hands trailed down Quinn's sides and she tugged gently at the top the blonde was wearing, loving how Quinn halted all movements and raised her arms to allow Rachel to pull the garment off of her.

Her dress slid down her body leaving her in a strapless black bra, panties and her strappy heels. Quinn's eyes traveled down her form slowly and raked back up just as slowly as she met Rachel's gaze.

"I can't believe you're mine," she breathed quietly, kissing the brunette.

"Forever," Rachel whispered, "if you'll let me be."

Quinn's eyes teared slightly and she leaned forward, capturing the other girl's lips with hers, sliding her hands around Rachel and pulling her close. Rachel's hands found the zipper on her skirt and she tugged on it until it fell in a pool of fabric at Quinn's feet.

Two sets of heels were kicked off nearly in unison as they headed for the bedroom, tumbling to the bed in a mass of limbs as the rest of their clothes were shed. Quinn hovered over the brunette in her bed and she leaned over enough to drop several light kisses to Rachel's neck and she moved her lips lower to the brunette's collarbone, nearly moaning when Rachel's body arched up into her lips.

Quinn's fingers danced down the expanse of Rachel's toned stomach and she watched as the brunette's eyes closed and her bottom lip was worried between two rows of perfect, white teeth. Quinn halted all movement as she tried to burn that image of Rachel into her brain for all eternity.

Rachel's eyes opened and she gazed up at the blonde with a loving smile. "You okay?"

Quinn nodded. "You're too beautiful."

Rachel's hands cupped her face gently and she guided the blonde up enough to kiss her languidly. "I love you."

Quinn felt her heart stutter in her chest like it had the first time Rachel had said the words to her and she swallowed back a wave of emotion.

Warm hands suddenly slid around her as Rachel pulled her impossibly close. Rachel's lips were on her neck and a thigh slid between hers as the two began rocking slowly against one another.

Their foreheads rested against each other's gently and their eyes locked for a moment before their lips met in a series of slow burning kisses.

Breaths shortened, hands roamed, legs twined as lips met and they rocked. Slowly at first but rapidly picking up speed.

Rachel found that she was completely locked into that moment, that all she saw was Quinn's eyes all she could feel and hear and see was the blonde hovering over her. She was nearly overwhelmed by the sensory overload and when she felt a thumb press on her clit she was sent head first over the edge of her orgasm and as the waves of pleasure rolled over her she suddenly burst into tears.

Quinn suddenly panicked and slid to the side, shifting her weight off the other girl and pulled her into her arms. "Rach, sweetie, are you alright?"

"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered, sniffling and swiping at her tears.

"Please tell me these aren't sad tears or hurt tears," Quinn requested softly. Her heart felt like it was wrenching in her chest and she felt a swirl of anxiety rolling in her stomach.

"Happy tears, I swear," Rachel responded as she tucked her face into the crook of the blonde's neck. "I just love you so much."

"I love you too," Quinn told her softly, pressing a soft kiss to Rachel's temple. She pulled the other girl closer to her and they spent several long minutes in silence, just enjoying the quiet together.

"I never thought we'd be here again," Rachel mumbled as her fingers danced over Quinn's collarbone.

"I always hoped we'd end up here." Quinn smiled. "Did you mean what you said earlier?"

"Which part?" Rachel asked, shifting so she could look into the other girl's gaze.

"The part about being mine forever?" Quinn asked softly, uncertainty swimming in her eyes.

Rachel didn't hesitate to nod her head. "I meant every word."

"Good," Quinn breathed, pulling Rachel closer to her. "Because I don't plan on ever letting you go again."

Rachel smiled and leaned up enough to press her lips to Quinn's. One kiss turned into three, which turned into several deeper kisses, which turned into hands roaming, which quickly led to rounds two, three, four and five.

Neither of them slept a minute that night and neither of them cared.

**XX**

A.N. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me your thoughts! Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

A.N. Quick update…kinda short, but kinda sweet. Enjoy!

**XX**

"What the hell am I doing?" Santana grumbled as she entered Rachel's apartment completely unannounced the next day.

Rachel looked up from her newspaper but remained silent. If she'd learned anything living next to Santana for the past few months, it was to keep her mouth shut in situations like these. The Latina usually managed to fill her in without being prompted to.

Santana went to the fridge and pulled out two beers, popping the tops off and sliding one to Rachel. She dropped onto the barstool next to Rachel and sighed. "I'm in love with Brittany. Again. Or _still_, I suppose."

Rachel dropped her pen to the paper in front of her and sipped her beer, turning to her friend but remaining silent.

"Will you say something? It's creeping me out that you're totally silent," Santana told her with a frown.

Rachel shrugged. "I'm not sure I can say much that I haven't said before. Leave him."

Santana sighed. "I know."

Rachel reached out to squeeze the other girl's arm comfortingly. "I know the thought of leaving him is probably completely terrifying but isn't the thought of not spending your life with her even scarier?"

Santana pondered that for a moment and nodded. "You're right." She rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I don't even know what I'm saying. It's not like me and Brit have even talked about being together. I'm married and we're still working through the friends part of things these days."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Please…the way she looks at you. She's just as in love with you as she was back then. Probably more so. You've grown into a pretty fantastic person, Santana."

Santana opened her mouth to snark a reply but shut it immediately. "Whatever, Berry."

Rachel grinned. "My point exactly. High school Santana would have slushied me or publicly embarrassed me or called me a bunch of really inappropriate names. You just brush it off now."

"You're nauseatingly happy this morning." Santana rolled her eyes. She suddenly regarded her friend carefully for a moment and pointed a slender finger at her, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You two totally did it last night, didn't you?"

The grin that spread over Rachel's features told the Latina everything she needed to know but Rachel simply shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Was it as good as it was in high school?" Santana prodded with a smirk, her chin falling to her hand as she leaned against the counter.

"High school doesn't even compare," Rachel told her with a far away look in her eye.

Santana grinned but a regretful sigh escaped her lips causing the diva to frown.

"Santana, honestly, can you think of one good reason to stay?" Rachel asked her softly a moment later.

Santana racked her brain. Part of her felt she owed it to him and to her parents to really give her dying marriage the respect she thought it should deserve but the other side of her brain wanted to simply tell him to fuck off. Especially after the way he behaved the night before. "No."

"Leave him."

Santana sighed heavily for a moment, thinking back to the night before and the maniacal look in her husband's eyes and she shivered, her eyes closing for a moment.

"Are you alright?" Rachel asked softly, her concern for her friend growing every instant.

Santana stared at her beer for a few seconds before draining half of it in several quick gulps. "I have to go. Have a good show tonight."

Rachel watched her leave and frowned. She hated that her friend was so completely and utterly unhappy with her life but she knew she could only do so much to help. She just hoped the other girl figured it out quickly.

**XX**

Santana felt like she wanted to jab a pen into her leg just to forget about him. Granted, he had been nauseatingly nice to her since the incident grabbing her. He'd bought her flowers and new jewelry and even invited Rachel and Quinn over for dinner early the following week. She told him she forgave him…though it was mostly so he'd leave her the hell alone. She wanted him to go back to practically ignoring her so she could spend more time with Brittany.

It seemed so upside down to have Brittany sitting across from her, so sweet and achingly familiar and so open and she had to go home and share a bed with a man who snuck off nearly every night to sleep with random women all over the city when he wasn't trying to buy her forgiveness for being an ass.

"I have fucked my life up," Santana muttered before she could stop herself.

"No you haven't," Brittany replied with a smile. "You're a lawyer, S. That's really awesome."

"But I'm totally alone," Santana mumbled.

"You're not," Brittany told her. She frowned. "You're m-married."

"It sounds gross when you say it," Santana told her with a scowl. "I don't like the way it sounds coming from your mouth. Or anyone else's for that matter."

"If you're so unhappy, why don't you leave?" Brittany asked simply.

"I don't know," Santana replied. And in that moment she really didn't.

"You should," Brittany told her. "And I'm saying that as your friend, not someone who totally wants to kiss you right now."

Santana groaned and the mere thought of kissing the blonde again. "B, you can't talk about kissing me. It's too much."

Brittany shook her head. "He treats you horribly." She leaned in close and her voice dropped. "Plus I bet he doesn't even know about that spot on your inner thigh that makes your hips buck."

Santana's mouth went dry and she gulped audibly, her eyelids fluttering. "B…"

Brittany sat up straight in her chair again and smiled. "So, want to do some shopping?"

"Not fair," Santana told her, eyes narrowing playfully.

"Leave him and I'll remind you about that spot," Brittany told her with an absolutely wicked glint in her eye. She grinned. "Until then we do best friend stuff. Normal best friend stuff. Not our high school best friend stuff."

"You play dirty," Santana told the blonde, her eyes narrowing playfully.

Brittany smirked. "You have no idea."

"Shopping sounds…boring compared to what's going through my mind right now" the brunette murmured, her eyes slightly out of focus as she concentrated on memories of a naked Brittany moaning under her, writhing _just_ right.

"Hey, S?" Brit asked.

"Hmm?" Santana murmured, her eyes focusing again.

"I forgive you," Brittany told her seriously.

Santana's eyes got wide and she felt a warmth settle in her belly. "Really?"

Brittany nodded. "Really."

That was the moment Santana knew she was definitely leaving her husband.

**XX**

A.N. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading and to everyone who has reviewed thus far, it totally keeps the chapters coming sooner rather than later!


	10. Chapter 10

A.N. I hope you like this part…it's a little different but it sets up a few very important parts of this story. Enjoy!

**XX**

"Good morning, Ladies," Kurt greeted as he sat down at the café with Rachel and Quinn.

Rachel smiled. "Good morning."

"Hi, Kurt." Quinn smiled and sipped her coffee, watching as he removed his sunglasses and scarf.

"How are you both this morning?" he asked once he was settled.

Before they could answer the waitress arrived and they placed their orders for breakfast.

"Excellent."

Kurt reached into his bag and withdrew an electronic sketchpad. He pressed the screen several times until he found what he'd been searching for and he rested it carefully on the tabletop before the two girls. "What do you think?"

Rachel gasped at the dress sketched out on the device. It was a single shoulder black dress that was long. It had a tight fitted bodice with a flowy skirt and it was fantastic.

"I love it." Quinn nodded her appreciation immediately.

"It's gorgeous," Rachel agreed with a nod as well. "I love it too."

"I think the one shouldered look would suit you very well," Kurt told them.

"Thank you for this, Kurt," Rachel told him with a smile. "I know you must be so busy already with fashion week coming up."

"It's no trouble at all." Kurt smiled and sipped his drink. "So how are things between you two?"

"Fantastic," Rachel told him with a bright smile. She'd never been more in love and she could swear that she was literally glowing with happiness.

Quinn smiled at the other girl fondly before nodding her head in agreement. "That sums it up nicely."

"I'm glad to hear it," Kurt told them both. "I actually have a date this weekend with Marcus."

"Marcus from my show Marcus?" Rachel asked with a squeal.

Kurt nodded. "We talked at your party and there was definitely instant chemistry."

"That's great, Kurt," Quinn told him, placing a hand over his on the table. "I'm happy for you."

Rachel nodded in agreement, busy already planning the wedding. She loved Marcus like a brother and he'd always looked out for her and to know that he was dating a friend of hers made her so happy.

"It's just a date," Kurt reminded them both. He pointed at Rachel. "Whatever it is going on inside that pretty head of yours, stop. First date."

"Oh please," Rachel scoffed. "If he wasn't gay and I wasn't completely smitten by, and gay for this one next to me, I'd want to marry him. You two are going to have adorable babies together. He can sing, he can dance, he can cook…"

"She does realize that's not possible, right?" Kurt asked Quinn as Rachel listed off all of Marcus's many admirable traits.

She smiled. "That's Rachel-speak for 'I'm so happy for you I could pee my pants'."

"Thank you for that visual," Kurt responded, his nose crinkling.

"Could we please refrain from discussing anyone's bodily functions at breakfast?" Rachel asked, one eyebrow rising in mock-annoyance. "I was up to number 9 on my list of charming traits that Marcus possesses so that Kurt will want to marry him." She emphasized her point by holding up 9 fingers.

"Rach, part of the fun of dating is figuring that stuff out on your own," Quinn pointed out with a fond smile. "And I'm sure Kurt wants to discover all nine of your charming traits and any others that Marcus wants him to know."

"You're absolutely right, Quinn," Rachel agreed immediately. "I hope the two of you get along amazingly, Kurt."

"Thank you." He winked at her. "Okay so what's up with Brit and Santana?"

Rachel shrugged. "There was a definite reconnection but I think Santana is hesitant to move the relationship forward when there are all these lingering feelings. And the fact that she is still married."

"Ugh," Kurt groaned, "Will she ever leave that ass she's married to?"

Rachel sighed. "I wish she would."

"We're having dinner with them on Monday night," Quinn told him, her nose crinkling thinking about having to sit in the same room as Richard for an extended period of time.

"Why?" Kurt asked, his facial expression mimicking Quinn's.

Rachel shrugged. "Santana called and asked if we could have dinner with them sometime. Apparently he's cooking."

"You don't think he's trying to poison all three of you, do you?" Kurt asked.

"If he does, it'll be up to you to kill him," Rachel told him with a grin.

"I saw him last week making out with some blonde in front of the Plaza," Kurt told them both. "He's beyond sleazy."

"We keep telling her to leave him," Rachel told him. "Maybe Brit will be more convincing than all of us."

"Have you considered _asking_ Brit to convince her?" Kurt asked.

Rachel shook her head. "It doesn't seem right. You know Santana could never say no to her in high school."

"I'm sure B's being plenty convincing on her own." Quinn smirked.

"I'm sure she is too," Kurt agreed with a laugh.

"I really hope you and Marcus hit it off, Kurt," Quinn told him. "I'd love it if we could double date."

"Or triple once Santana and Brit are together." Rachel grinned thinking of it.

"Sweetie, if you wait for them to have a triple date we might be waiting a while," Quinn told her.

"A girl can dream," Rachel sighed happily, propping her chin in her hand and tuning out the other two as she dreamed of triple dates with her friends.

**XX**

Santana pulled her front door open and smiled at the pair on the other side of the door with a bottle of wine and a box with dessert.

"Hi, girls," Santana greeted them. She held the door open and pulled each of them into a hug as they entered.

"Hi," Rachel replied with a smile.

"Hey, sweetie," Quinn responded with a tight smile. She still was not crazy about this plan but went along with it for Santana.

"Gorgeous roses," Rachel commented as her eyes landed on a vase of at least two-dozen white roses in vase in the hall.

"A gift from Richard," she told them. "Come in." She led them through the apartment and into the kitchen where Richard was stirring a pot of pasta.

"Good evening, ladies," he greeted as he turned.

"Hi, Richard," Rachel replied.

"Hello," Quinn responded, her voice tight, desperately trying not to say something terrible.

"Thank you for having us over," Rachel said as she took a seat at the counter in a high bar stool.

"It's no trouble at all," he told them. "I thought we would give Quinn the night off since she cooks for other people every night."

"How thoughtful," Quinn said, trying to keep her tone light so the underlying sarcasm would be ignored. She accepted a glass of wine from Santana with a smile and tried to relax.

"So, Rachel, how is your show going?" he asked as he turned back to the stove.

"Fantastic," Rachel replied with a smile. "We've sold out every performance for the rest of the season."

"That's amazing," he said sounding impressed. "And, Quinn, how is the restaurant?"

"The restaurant is great," she responded.

"Ever think about opening your own place?" he asked. "Your food is phenomenal."

"Thanks," she responded. Alarm bells were softly starting to go off in her head. Richard had never been this nice to her and she was suddenly starting to wonder why it was starting now. "I have thought about it, but I'm not sure it's really the right time."

"Well, you'll know when it is," he replied.

He added some spices to a sauce in another pot, which gave Quinn the opportunity to shoot a questioning look to Santana. She shrugged and sipped her wine.

"So all three of you went to high school together?" he asked.

"Yes," Rachel replied. "But we didn't exactly run in the same circles."

"Rachel ran her own circle," Santana explained with a grin. "The 'I'm far too talented to associate with you losers' circle."

"Actually I think it was you that called me the loser," Rachel pointed out.

Richard laughed and Rachel was taken aback by how warm his laughter was. It seemed to fill the room up with happiness. She was beginning to see why Santana could love him. Just a little. "I have heard stories that she was a little ruthless in high school."

"To everyone but Quinn and Brittany," Rachel agreed.

"Even to me," Quinn replied with a playful wink to her best friend.

"Ha ha," Santana replied dryly.

"Who's Brittany?" Richard asked suddenly.

Rachel glanced from him to Santana, her eyes a bit wide. She was surprised that Santana had never even mentioned her old best friend to her husband.

"She was my best friend back then," Santana explained.

"She was in glee with all of us," Rachel told him.

Santana nodded, her expression softening as she thought back to those days for a moment. "She actually lives here and we talked at Rachel's party a few weeks ago."

"How nice," Richard replied, turning back to the stove.

Santana swallowed hard. She could tell by the tone of his voice and the way his jaw set suddenly that something about this conversation was upsetting him and she hoped she didn't pay for it later.

"Dinner is ready," he announced a moment later.

"Excellent, I'm starving," Santana told them as she grabbed the bottle of wine and headed for the dining room.

As they ate, conversation was kept light. They talked about music and movies. Rachel told them funny stories about fans who went a little above and beyond the usual shows of appreciation. Not quite on the stalker level but certainly a bit over eager.

After dinner they sat around the table sipping coffee and eating the coconut crème pie from Quinn's restaurant.

Richard's pager suddenly went off and he glanced down at it before standing up abruptly. "I'm sorry. I have to get to the hospital." He glanced at Santana, actually managing to look regretful. "Sorry, honey."

"It's fine," she told him. "Go save lives."

He leaned in to kiss her quickly before turning his attention to the other two girls. "Thank you both for coming tonight and I'm sorry I have to run."

"Thank you for having us," Rachel responded with a smile. "Everything was excellent."

"It was," Quinn agreed. "Thank you."

"See you girls later," he told all three of them as he rushed from the room and headed for the door.

"Why is he being so nice?" Quinn asked the moment the door was shut.

Santana shrugged. "I guess he's in a mood."

"Did you two have a fight?" Quinn asked. "He seems to be making up for something."

"Q, it's fine," Santana told her.

"Okay," Quinn replied, not wanting to drop the subject just yet, but she also didn't want to spoil the evening. "I hate to cut the evening short, but I have to be up early for an inspection in the morning."

"It's fine," Santana replied, standing to pick up the dishes from the table. "I have an early meeting anyways."

"Thank you for having us over," Rachel told Santana as she grabbed several items from the table and followed the other brunette into the kitchen.

"I'm glad you guys could come," Santana told them. "Plus it gives Rach a chance to see that Richard really isn't that bad."

"Hmmm," Quinn hummed, not really wanting to comment on the subject. Alarm bells had been going off in her head since they'd arrived and she couldn't quell the nagging in her gut that something wasn't right.

The girls got the dishes loaded into the dishwasher and helped Santana straighten up before heading towards the door.

"You'll be okay tonight?" Quinn asked her friend.

Santana nodded. "I'm sure he'll be in surgery all night, but I'll be fine."

"We're staying next door so if you need anything," Quinn told her.

"Thanks," Santana told them as she hugged both of them. "See you tomorrow."

"Night, sweetie," Quinn told her with a smile.

"Night, sweetie," Rachel teased with a playful grin of her own, causing Quinn to giggle and Santana to roll her eyes, a smile playing on her lips as well as she shut the door.

"Something weird is going on," Quinn mumbled as soon as Rachel's door was closed and locked.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked as she kicked off her shoes and headed for the bedroom.

Quinn trailed behind her, sighing as she thought back over the night's events. "He was way too nice. She had on new jewelry and those roses must have been a fortune. He was groveling."

"Maybe they had a fight," Rachel told her as she slid out of her skirt and tossed it into the hamper.

Quinn shrugged and took a seat on the bed, her mind pondering Richard's actions. Rachel watched her for a moment before continuing to get ready for bed. She changed clothes and brushed her hair and her teeth and ten minutes later she noticed Quinn still hadn't moved.

She moved so she was standing in front of the blonde, wedging herself carefully between Quinn's knees and began running her fingers through blonde locks slowly, the way Quinn liked it. Quinn smiled instantly, her mind focusing only on the long, slender fingers playing in her hair.

"Forget about him," Rachel murmured softly, she let her fingers trace down the back of Quinn's head until they clasped behind her neck. She moved so she was straddling the blonde on her bed and kissed her gently. "Still thinking about him?"

Quinn shook her head.

Rachel smiled. "Good." She kissed Quinn again and suddenly her features turned into a smirk. "Because I'm going to need your full attention here."

"Oh really?" Quinn asked, a smile quirking her lips as well.

Rachel nodded, her eyes locked with Quinn's, the most intensely loving look Quinn had ever seen was playing across Rachel's features and it made her heart skip in her chest. As her shirt was removed she suddenly she couldn't remember why she had been feeling so anxious and it was several hours before she was even given the chance to remember and by then she was so blissed out that she didn't even try.

**XX**

A.N. Like I said, a little different. Please let me know what you thought. Hope you enjoyed!


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N. **Hope you enjoy! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

**XX**

Much to her friends' disappointment, Santana didn't leave her husband the moment Brittany had walked back into her life as they expected she might. Instead the days stretched on and Santana remained Mrs. Barstow.

Santana knew her marriage was over. Richard had been having affair after affair and he was rarely home and the grabbing incident had been the last straw. She wasn't entirely sure what it was that was keeping her from serving him with the papers she'd had drawn up months ago. Maybe it was the fact that she'd been raised in a household that held marriage to a standard that most people didn't anymore. She knew a divorce would disappoint her parents and she could hear her mother's voice telling her that there were a lot of loveless marriages out there but that didn't mean that you walked away from them. It just didn't happen in her day so she didn't want it to happen in Santana's either.

There was a knock on her door and she pulled it open, smiling immediately when she found three grinning faces on the other side of the door.

"Girls night next door," Rachel told her. "You in?"

Santana rolled her eyes dramatically. "If it's you three? Pass." She playfully moved to shut the door but Brittany was too quick and grabbed her arm, tugging her from the apartment.

"Let's go, you," Brit ordered with a smile.

"Alright, fine," Santana relented playfully.

Quinn slid an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. "Doing okay?"

Santana nodded. "Just thinking."

Quinn nodded but remained silent as the girls made their way into Rachel's place. They headed for the kitchen and popped popcorn and grabbed drinks.

"So, Mercedes is moving into her new place this week," Rachel announced as they settled in the living room.

"Is she?" Quinn asked. "When does she start work on her album?"

"Next week," Rachel replied. "She wants me to come in and do some backup vocals."

Santana smirked. "Rachel Berry singing backup, what's the world coming to?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

"Can we get ridiculously drunk tonight?" Santana asked suddenly. "Better yet, let's go out and drink and dance on the tables."

The other three exchanged amused looks and everyone nodded. "Definitely dancing," Brittany agreed. "Maybe not on the tables though. Remember that party we went to junior year where we danced on the tables and you were so drunk that you nearly broke your neck when you fell off?"

"No tables," Santana and Quinn agreed simultaneously.

Rachel shook her head with a grin. She loved the three girls in the room with her but definitely felt out of the loop at times when inside jokes would go over her head or things from high school would just make no sense to her.

"Non-table dancing sounds fun," Rachel told them.

"Berry, grab your vodka, I'm going to get changed," Santana instructed as she stood up.

"Vodka makes you want to have sex," Brittany pointed out and Rachel and Quinn both snorted with laughter.

Santana shot them both glares. "Come on, B, you can borrow something of mine. These two have piddly little legs so they can share Berry's wardrobe."

"Hey!" Quinn protested.

"My legs are not piddly!" Rachel called.

"Rachel has nice legs," Brittany pointed out. "You even said so."

Santana rolled her eyes as Rachel set a smirk on her. "Whatever, come on." She turned to the other two girls and pointed at them. "Don't use changing clothes as an excuse to get busy, we're going out in twenty minutes."

"We can totally do it and get changed in twenty minutes," Quinn whispered.

"Totally," Rachel agreed. They waited for the apartment door to click behind the other two and they took off towards the bedroom, both yanking at their clothes as they went.

**XX**

Santana walked into the large walk in closet and began perusing her clothes, Brittany doing the same.

Santana pulled her sweatshirt off over her head and reached for a dress and that's when she heard Brittany gasp. When she glanced over she found the blonde staring at her arm.

"San," Brittany breathed softly as she reached out to touch the bruises. "What happened?"

"I nearly fell down the stairs the other day," Santana explained, thinking quickly. "I broke a heel and Richard grabbed my arm to keep me from falling."

Brittany winced. "Ouch. I'm glad you didn't fall. You probably would have broken something."

"Me too," Santana replied with a forced smile, shivering slightly as she thought back to the night she'd actually received the bruise. She gazed at the blonde next to her knowing without a doubt that Brittany never would lay a hand on her. Even if her life depended on it, Brittany would never hurt her the way her husband had. She sighed thinking she needed to grow some guts and just leave him already.

"Okay, think this will look okay?" Brittany asked, interrupting her thoughts, holding up a black skirt and a blue top.

"You'll look awesome, B." Santana smiled lovingly at her as the blonde headed into the adjoining bathroom to change.

Santana shed her jeans and tank top and she slid into a _short_ black strapless dress and the strappiest black heels she could find in her closet. She stepped into the bathroom and her eyes settled on the blonde again, who turned and nearly gaped at her.

"Damn, S, you look hot," Brittany whispered. Blue eyes traveled up her form slowly, meeting her eyes briefly before finally settling on her lips.

Santana felt her mouth go dry and her pulse quicken at the look in the blonde's eyes as she watched her. She approached Brittany slowly and when she was inches away from her, Santana turned and swept her hair over her shoulder.

"Zip me up?" she asked quietly. Brittany's fingers gazed her back as she raised the zipper and Santana's eyes slid closed and her mouth dropped open slightly. Brittany's touch still did _everything_ to her.

Santana turned, still a breath away from the blonde, her lips too close to the other girl's and she swallowed hard, a sigh falling from her lips.

Brittany's eyes fell to the Latina's lips again. She'd been dreaming about those lips since Santana walked back into her life and all she had to do was move _this much _to kiss them again.

She moved a millimeter but Santana turned her head and dropped her forehead to Brittany's shoulder, sighing reluctantly. "I can't, B. I'm still married. Damn him."

"You have no idea what I would be doing to you right now if you weren't," Brittany told her softly, her mouth pressed intimately to Santana's ear. She pressed her lips softly to Santana's temple and turned and headed for the closet. "I love your shoe collection."

Santana groaned and swallowed hard, her heart thundering in her chest and she knew that she would be serving her husband with the papers she'd had drawn up the moment he returned from his trip. She was far too in love with the blonde to put it off any longer.

Fear be damned.

Santana faced her mirror and gave herself the 'just fucked' hair treatment she'd given Rachel not too long ago and she applied some eyeliner and lipstick as she waited for Brittany to pick out her shoes. She helped the blonde with her hair and makeup a minute later and they were headed back to Rachel's apartment 26 minutes after they'd left. She figured the other two would make good use of the extra six minutes because she knew, despite her threat earlier, that the other two had definitely hooked up before they got changed.

**XX**

"You two totally did it anyways, didn't you?" Santana asked, pinning them both with a look, daring them to lie.

"How do you do that?" Quinn asked as she set four shot glasses out on the counter. She smiled when Rachel's hand slid around her waist and the brunette's lips dropped to her shoulder.

"It's a gift," Santana told her with a grin.

"You look really hot in that dress," Quinn told her, earning her a playful smack on the arm from the brunette next to her. She turned to Rachel and kissed the side of her neck quickly. "Not as hot as you, Rach."

"Gross," Santana mumbled with a roll of her eyes. "If you two are going to be all lovey dovey all night, me and B will go out alone."

"Okay," Rachel responded with a shrug. "I'm sure we can keep busy." She shot Quinn an absolutely smoldering look.

"No," Brittany whined. "I haven't had a girls night in a long time. S, be nice. I want them to come out with us."

"Fine," Santana responded playfully with a roll of her eyes. She twirled her finger around in a circle, trying to get things moving. "Back to backs, let's go."

Quinn poured shots, knowing exactly what the brunette was saying, Rachel frowned and set questioning eyes on Santana. "Back to back shots, Berry. Keep up."

"She never drank with you in high school, S, be nice," Brittany told her softly.

The girls picked up their shots and held them up, standing in a loose circle.

"To a night we won't ever forget," Santana toasted.

"And four totally hot girls taking over this city for one night," Quinn added.

The glasses clinked and shots were thrown back, only to be instantly refilled and thrown back again.

"Mmm, I love grey goose," Santana mumbled as she filled hers again and shot it back.

"One more?" Quinn asked the girls. She leaned over and kissed Rachel quickly.

"One more," Brittany agreed.

"So, Berry…" Santana set her gaze on the diva, smirking when the shorter girl seemed to gulp under the weight of the stare. "You and Q hooked up in high school, right?"

"Right," Rachel agreed.

"Was she your first?" Santana raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"There's something I'm dying to know." Santana leaned against the counter, both elbows resting on the smooth marble surface and she rested her chin on her hands.

"San…" Quinn warned, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Santana rolled her eyes and waved her off. "Chill, Q, I'll be nice."

"What is it you want to know?" Rachel asked.

"Are you really a gold star?" Santana asked, her smirk widening.

Rachel literally took a step backwards when the other three girls' eyes settled on her. "Ah…no."

"Oh really?" Santana asked, her eyes on Quinn suddenly, who seemed very interested in this story.

Rachel shrugged a shoulder. "It was sort of a one time thing. It was terrible and kind of a mess and I cried after."

"Why?" Brittany asked, stealing the question from Quinn's lips.

Quinn found herself holding her breath. She remembered the first time back with Rachel and the brunette had burst into tears that night. Suddenly she was confused and a little heartbroken.

"Because I realized it was completely wrong for me." Rachel met Quinn's eyes. "I guess after Quinn, no one really compared."

"Rach…" Quinn whispered. Her eyes were tearing up and the alcohol was hitting her and she suddenly felt the room spinning around her.

Santana glanced between the two of them and sensed that this was a private, serious conversation and she quietly pulled Brittany from the room without the other two even noticing.

Rachel could practically read her thoughts and she pulled the blonde into her arms and squeezed her gently. "I know what you're thinking and it's not the same at all."

"You burst into tears with me," Quinn reminded her softly.

"Quinn, it's completely different." Rachel reached for her and frowned when the blonde pulled back slightly.

"I would never forgive myself if I hurt you again," Quinn told her softly. "I'd never do anything to make you cry intentionally."

"I know that," Rachel told her. "I promise. With you it was happiness and relief and sheer and utter joy that we were together again. I swear to you that my tears were happy tears."

Quinn didn't look completely convinced. "You promise?"

Rachel met her gaze and those eyes conveyed nothing but love and honesty. "I promise."

Quinn nodded and sighed heavily. "Okay."

Rachel suddenly noticed they were alone in the kitchen. "Wow, we can clear a room."

Quinn smiled and kissed her quickly. "Don't worry about it, sweetie."

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked softly, reaching a hand up to run through the other girl's hair quickly. "It's really not the same. I swear."

"I know," Quinn told her. "I really do." She grasped Rachel's hand and pulled her into the living room where the other two were chatting quietly on the couch.

"You two okay?" Santana asked when she noticed the other two.

"We're okay." Quinn smiled at her friend and wrapped an arm around Rachel and squeezed her gently.

"More shots?" Santana offered with a grin as she stood up. "Drama sobers me up even when it's not mine."

"More shots," the other three agreed instantly as they headed for the kitchen.

A few minutes later the girls were stepping on the elevator and riding down to the lobby where they waited for a cab.

"So where are we going?" Santana asked as they slid into a cab.

"I know the bouncers and bartenders at Blue," Rachel suggested.

"I've never been there," Brittany announced. "Can we go?"

"Sure," Quinn agreed.

"It's totally the hottest gay bar in the city," Santana smirked. "I'm not surprised you know everyone there, Berry."

"Most of my co-stars are gay, San," Rachel reminded her.

"I bet you have a private booth," Santana teased.

"The production does," Rachel admitted with a pout.

Santana laughed. "I'll bet." She took a deep breath. "So, I sort of have an announcement to make." Everyone set their eyes on her. "I'm giving Richard the divorce papers when he gets home."

The other three girls were silent for a split second before they all began cheering and talking at once, startling their driver.

"He's supposed to be home the day after we all go out to see Rach's show," Santana told them. "I'll give him the papers and it'll be over."

"Four days," Rachel said with a grin.

"Four days," Santana repeated. "As long as it's uncontested, I'll be free from him in about a month."

"And we are having a damn party for you, sweetie," Quinn told her with a grin. "This is the best news I've heard in a long time. We're celebrating tonight!"

"Are you alright?" Brittany asked her softly, sliding an arm around the brunette.

Santana exhaled a shaky breath. "I'm terrified."

"Just remember," Brittany started softly, she waited for dark eyes to meet hers. "Once he's gone you get me."

"Suddenly I can't wait," Santana told her with a grin. And she couldn't. Despite the fear and anxiety that was inevitably coming, she knew without a doubt that she was doing the right thing.

**XX**

A.N. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you can take a moment to leave your thoughts. I hope you enjoyed!


	12. Chapter 12

A.N. 1: Okay, I'm pretty sure this is the one you guys have been waiting for…Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really means a lot!

A.N. 2: The gold star thing…A Gold Star is a female that has never slept with a guy and has no plans to. A few of you asked about that so I thought I'd clear that up. I just thought it was funny since Rach had a thing for gold stars in high school.

**XX**

"Where have you been?" a voice nearly growled at her in the dark causing Santana to jump, a hand on her chest.

"Richard," she sighed. "You scared me. You weren't supposed to be home until tomorrow."

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked again.

In the dark she watched him get up from his chair and cross his arms across his chest, his eyes narrowed, chin tilted up almost daring her to lie to him.

"I went to see Rachel's play with some friends from high school," she told him. She swallowed hard as a tiny ball of panic settled in her stomach and seemed to grow with the rapidity of a snowball sailing down a mountain, freezing her insides as it went.

"Who's the blonde?" he asked.

"Quinn?" she asked, knowing he wasn't referring to her best friend.

He took a step towards her, shedding a sliver of light onto his appearance. His eyes were glassy from his scotch, his hair was mused and his jaw set making him look rather maniacal. "You think you can go out with some tramp and I wouldn't find out about it?"

"Shut up, I know you have me followed," she told him irritably. She was so sick of his crazy behavior.

Suddenly she was seeing stars as his hand collided with her cheek. Her vision swam and her hands immediately cradled her face. His hands suddenly fisted in the material of her top, ripping it and he pulled her close, shaking her violently, the alcohol on his breath making her nauseous. "Did you just tell me to shut up?" His knuckles collided heavily with her chest and collarbone making her wince.

"Get your hands off me," she told him, her hands trying desperately to shove him away from her body.

He growled and pushed forward, causing her to scramble to keep her footing until she slammed into the wall behind her. She cried out as her head connected with the wall behind her and her vision swam again.

"You are my wife," he whispered, his mouth near her ear as he licked her neck roughly, clearly enjoying the way she struggled against him. She could feel his excitement against her leg and it made her sick. "You do not talk to me like that."

"Fuck you," she spat back. She yelped when his fist connected with her face and his knee with her stomach, sending her breath gasping out of her in one strike. He kicked the back of her knees, sending her sprawling to the ground. She began crawling, desperately trying to get away from his much larger frame.

"Oh no you don't." He grabbed her roughly and tugged her hair, causing her to cry out again.

He flipped her over and reached for her skirt, shoving it up roughly before reaching for the zipper on his pants. The sound of more material ripping flirted with her ears as the last of her clothing hiding her body from him disappeared and a rough hand on each thigh caused her to wince. As he pounded away, she didn't make a sound. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as he grunted in her ear, wincing as he bit down on her chest roughly as he came.

He panted heavily for a few moments before slapping her thigh roughly. "Talk back to me again, bitch, and I'll be sure the next time isn't quite as gentle. And tell anyone about this and I'll ruin you." He stood up and readjusted his clothes. "I'm going out. I'll be back tomorrow."

She remained motionless until she heard the front door click behind him and the deadbolt lock with the turn of his key. She swiped at her tears with shaking hands as she straightened her clothes out. Her head pounded in her ears from the force of the blow and she simply backed up until she was tucked safely into the corner of the room. She dropped her head to her knees as she began to sob.

It seemed that one thing was common in all New York apartments, no matter how much you paid for them.

Thin walls.

Rachel stood with her cell phone clutched to her chest. She'd very nearly called the police at the sounds from the apartment next door. But suddenly all was quiet and she was completely torn.

She flipped her television set on, turning it to the security channel, and she watched the activity in the lobby of the apartment building until she saw Santana's husband exit the building. She debated her options for a moment before settling on one and she exited her apartment and headed to the door next to hers. She knocked three times.

"Santana? It's me."

There was no answer after several long moments so she tried again.

"You know how stubborn I am. I'll stand out here all night."

She half expected that to work, but she was only greeted by more silence.

"Please let me in."

She held her breath and waited. Just as she was about to sit down in the hall the deadbolt clicked and the door opened. Santana kept herself hidden from view and Rachel slid inside and turned to face her friend, a shocked gasp falling from her lips when she saw the other girl.

Her hair was disheveled, mascara running. Her face was already starting to swell and her top was ripped revealing an angry bite mark on her chest. Santana was trembling as she shut the door and locked it, leaning against it heavily.

"I'm calling the police," Rachel told her, her voice shaking.

"No," Santana pleaded hoarsely. "Don't."

Rachel's eyes went wide. "Santana, your husband just beat the hell out of you. I'm calling the police right now. He better pray that they find him before I do."

"Please don't," the taller girl whispered, she slid to the floor into a trembling mess. "It'll be my word against his. Nobody will believe he did this."

"Santana…"

"No."

Rachel watched as the other girl for a moment before moving to sit on the floor next to her. She began dialing a number. "Well then I'm calling reinforcements."

"Not B."

Rachel shook her head. "No." A moment later she sighed. "Quinn? It's me."

Santana sighed heavily and let her head lean against the door behind her. She felt a gentle hand slide into hers a moment later and her eyes met Rachel's concerned gaze as she talked to the blonde for a moment before shutting her phone.

"She'll be here in fifteen minutes," Rachel told her.

Santana nodded as she suddenly broke down and cried. Rachel slid her arms around the other girl and held her tightly, trying to soothe the quaking girl in her arms as best she could.

Just as she began to calm down there was a knock on the door behind them, startling them both.

"It's me," Quinn called through the door.

Rachel stood and helped Santana to her feet as well, putting herself between the Latina and the door as she pulled it open. Quinn was standing with a bag of items from the drug store and she entered the apartment and gasped when she caught sight of her best friend.

"Oh, San," she whispered as she pulled the other girl into her arms, her bag falling to the floor.

"Q...I…didn't," Santana hiccupped. She held the blonde for everything she was worth as she dissolved into a sobbing mess.

"Sweetie, it's okay," Quinn soothed gently. "Rachel and I aren't going to let anything happen to you. You're safe, I promise."

Quinn met Rachel's terrified eyes and they held each other's gaze until Rachel picked up the bag on the floor and headed for the bathroom. A minute later the other two followed her into the room and Santana took a seat on the edge of the bathtub. Quinn ran a washcloth under warm water and kneeled in front of the other girl, wiping away dried blood and any makeup still on her face.

"What happened?" Quinn asked gently. "Sorry," she apologized softly as her friend hissed in pain.

"He had me followed," Santana admitted. "He does it from time to time when he spends too much time away from me. To make sure I'm not cheating on him."

"Bastard," Quinn bit out suddenly. "I hate him." She handed the washcloth to Rachel and dug through her bag for more supplies, setting several items on the counter next to Santana. "Arms up, Sweetie." She pulled the ripped top from her friend winced at the angry bite mark about 3 inches above her left breast. Anger swelled up inside her so quickly that she felt her hands tremble and her vision sharpen. Fight or flight was taking over and she suddenly felt a murderous rage swell within her that she'd never felt before.

"He was waiting for me when I got home and he asked who the blonde was," she told them as Quinn began cleaning the wound on her chest. She winced as the alcohol hit the wound. "I told him to shut up and he slapped me. I think the 'fuck you' really pissed him off."

"What else?" Quinn asked. She pinned her best friend with a look and Santana knew she couldn't lie to her.

She swallowed hard. "He punched me and kicked my feet out from under me. Then h-he held me down…" The look in her eyes told the other two everything they needed to know.

"Oh God," Rachel breathed, her eyes wide and face paling. Tears welled in her eyes and she sat down next to her friend and wrapped an arm around her. "I should have called the police."

Santana shook her head, wincing again as a bandage was placed over the bite mark. "I'm leaving him anyways."

"He might be dead before you have the chance," Quinn growled.

Santana sighed heavily and glanced down at herself. "I need a shower."

"Not here," Quinn told her with a shake of her head. "Come to Rachel's."

"He won't be back," Santana tried to argue.

"I don't care," Quinn told her. "Grab what you need and let's go." Her tone left no room to argue so Santana pulled on a tee shirt and grabbed her bathrobe, a few shower necessities and some clothes before the three of them made their way next door.

"Towels are in the closet," Rachel told her softly. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks," Santana told them both before disappearing into the bathroom.

Rachel sat on the couch completely spaced out until a glass of wine appeared in her line of sight. She glanced up with a smile and accepted the wine as Quinn sat down next to her on the couch and pulled her legs up under her.

"Has this happened before?" Rachel asked softly.

Quinn shook her head. "Not to my knowledge. He's never laid a finger on her before. They fight a lot, but it's never been physical that I'm aware of."

"We should get her out of the city for a few days," Rachel suggested. "I haven't taken a single performance off in three years and as successful as you are I doubt you've missed time either."

"And go where?" Quinn asked.

"I have a little house in the Hamptons," Rachel offered with a shrug. "The papers are all signed under pseudonyms so no one would even know how to find us."

Quinn raised an eyebrow, her lips turning into a slow smile. "That sounds perfect."

"Should we invite Brittany?" Rachel wondered.

Quinn shrugged. "If San wants her there, I don't see why we shouldn't."

"Okay," Rachel agreed. "I wish I could do more for her."

Santana emerged from the bedroom, her hair still damp, wrapped in a white bathrobe and she moved slowly to the couch and dropped down between the other two. Quinn instantly slipped an arm around her and Rachel dropped a hand to her arm, her thumb tracing patterns on the shower-warmed skin absently.

"Think you can get some time off from work?" Quinn asked. She offered her glass of wine to her.

Santana frowned and sipped the wine slowly. "Do I look that bad?"

"No, honey, I'm sorry, that came out wrong," Quinn told her with a shake of her head.

Rachel shook her head. "I have a house in the Hamptons. We were thinking we could go for a few days."

The thought of being away from this apartment certainly appealed to Santana. She swallowed the anxiety that caused a lump in her throat. "I'll call my boss in the morning."

"Good," Quinn replied as she gently squeezed her friend's shoulders. "It's settled.

"Can B come?" Santana asked softly. She set the glass on the table and her gaze dropped to her fingers in her lap.

Rachel smiled. "Of course."

"You're staying with one of us until we leave," Quinn told her.

"He won't be back tonight," Santana whispered. She suddenly buried her face in her hands. "How did this happen?"

"It's going to be okay, San," Quinn told her. She leaned in and placed a kiss to her temple. "We'll be right here next to you through this whole thing."

Santana suddenly burst into tears and Quinn pulled her close, exchanging a worried glance with Rachel over the Latina's head.

They knew they were in for a rough ride ahead.

**XX**

**A.N. **Well, I can't bring myself to give you the usual 'hope you enjoyed' because that chapter was rough. I do, however, hope that this story has been as emotional to read as it has been to write because that is my goal. Sorry if this one was a bit dark but I just felt like it had to hit the lowest point before I could start moving back up. Thank you for reading and I really hope you can leave me some comments on this one.


	13. Chapter 13

A.N. Hey guys, I'm back. Sorry it took a few days for this chapter to go up…I had some trouble with parts of it. But I do appreciate you guys sticking with this one. It means a lot. Enjoy!

**XX**

Santana fell asleep in Rachel's guest room about an hour later and Rachel and Quinn sat on the couch coming up with a plan.

"I can call my driver," Rachel suggested.

Quinn shook her head. "I'll pick up my car in the morning and we can take it."

"Okay." Rachel chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "It should only take us a few hours to get there."

Quinn's eyes suddenly darkened. "I'm paying him a visit while I'm out."

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Rachel asked softly, she didn't want the blonde getting hurt.

"No," Quinn told her with a shake of her head. "But I'm going to anyways."

"Maybe I should come with you," Rachel suggested. "Safety in numbers and all that."

Quinn shook her head. "No, you need to stay here with her. When I get back you can sort things out with the theater and I'll stay with her. She doesn't need to be alone right now. Besides, we'll be in the middle of the hospital. Things can't really get out of hand there."

"You have a point." Rachel dropped her head into her hands with a sigh. "This is just so bizarre. Of all the people we went to high school with, she is the last person I would have pictured in this situation. She was so strong."

"She's still strong," Quinn pointed out. "But he's huge."

"It makes me sick to think about," Rachel told her with a sigh.

"Me too," Quinn replied as she wrapped an arm around Rachel and squeezed her gently.

"Will you please stay tonight?" Rachel whispered.

Quinn nodded immediately. "Of course."

A ghost of a smile reached Rachel's lips and she nodded, remaining silent. It was the first time since she'd heard the struggle in the apartment next door that she was really able to comprehend what had taken place and she was terribly shaken up about it.

"Hey," Quinn soothed, running a hand over the brunette's hair affectionately. "She's going to be okay."

Rachel nodded, swallowing the panic that seemed to be building. "This feels like a nightmare."

"I know what you mean," Quinn agreed. "I don't even want to think about Brittany. She's going to flip."

"If it was you, I would too," Rachel admitted. Her face twisted in a pained frown. "I can't even think about if that had been you."

"This is going to break Brit's heart," Quinn realized. "Because it would have broken mine if it was you. Actually it broke mine anyways."

"Mine too," Rachel agreed with a sigh.

"We'll get her through this, right?" Quinn asked suddenly.

Rachel nodded, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "We will."

"Good." Quinn replied softly.

She just prayed that they were right.

**XX**

Rachel looked up from packing her bag the next morning when Santana appeared in her bedroom doorway and leaned against the frame gingerly, her arms crossing over her chest.

"How are you feeling?" Rachel asked.

"How do I look?" Santana asked. "Don't pull punches."

"You look like you're hurting," Rachel told her honestly.

Santana nodded, her chin quivering slightly. "That about sums it up."

"I'm sorry."

Santana shook her head. "It's over with him."

"Good," Rachel said softly. "Did you call Brit?"

Santana nodded. "She can't make it until later tonight."

"Oh."

"I think she's going to rent a car."

"Tell her not to. Quinn went to get her car," Rachel told her. "The three of us can drive up this morning and then I'll send my driver to get Brit tonight."

"Are you sure?" Santana asked.

Rachel nodded. "Of course."

Santana smiled. "Thank you."

Rachel approached her, pulling her into a hug. "If there's anything at all you need, let me know."

"There is something actually," Santana told her hesitantly. She actually melted into the embrace for a moment before pulling back. Rachel kept a firm grip on her hands and she was extremely comforted by the presence of the other girl.

Rachel nodded. "Okay."

"I called my doctor this morning and she had a prescription for emergency contraception sent to the pharmacy down the street," Santana told her, eyes downcast. "I just need to make sure I have it before we leave."

"I'll call Quinn and ask her to pick it up on her way back." Rachel squeezed her hands gently and released them.

"Normally I don't have to worry about it," Santana explained. "But it's been so long since we've…I just stopped bothering with it."

"You don't have to explain," Rachel told her gently.

"I need to go to my place and get something and then I need a favor from you," Santana mumbled.

"Okay," Rachel agreed. "Anything."

"I need you to photograph my injuries." Santana swallowed hard, unable to meet her eyes.

"O-okay," Rachel stammered.

"I'd ask Q but I think she might go homicidal."

"It's fine," Rachel assured her. While she was sure that Quinn's reaction probably could be violent, she was concerned that her own reaction to her friend's injuries would be less than ideal as well.

Santana nodded, still not meeting Rachel's eyes and she turned from the room and headed to her own apartment. She felt Rachel's presence trailing her as she entered the apartment but the other girl remained in the living room while Santana retrieved something from the bedroom before grabbing her digital camera from her desk.

The two headed back to Rachel's and Santana walked Rachel through photographing her bruises from the night before. They started with her face and neck, making sure to capture every angle so they didn't miss anything. Once that had been taken care of Rachel tried not to stare at the injuries as Santana stripped her faded grey tee shirt off, revealing the angry bite mark on her chest along with several darkening bruises on her chest and ribs and back.

"I…I just need a second," Santana whispered. Her head dropped and eyes closed as she tried desperately to calm her thundering heart.

Rachel watched her, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, hating that Santana had to go through any of this. Her heart was breaking more with each passing second.

Santana exhaled a shaky breath, swallowing hard when she thought about what had to happen next. She hated her husband with everything she had in her in that moment. He'd beaten her nearly past recognition and now she had to be completely humiliated and nearly naked while her friend took pictures of everything he'd done. Though she supposed standing in front of Rachel was infinitely better than some stranger cop.

So she stood in Rachel's dining room wearing nothing but her bra and panties while Rachel shot pictures of her hips, thighs and lower back and the bruises that he'd left behind.

"Well now we're even," Santana sighed, wincing as she bent over to pull her yoga pants back on. She grabbed her tee shirt and followed Rachel into the kitchen, pulling it on as she went.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked, her lips quirking into a frown. She moved to the fridge to grab two beers. Not caring one bit that it was barely 10 a.m.

"Well I'm positive that I was involved in some of the more humiliating times you had in high school and now you're involved in what is certainly the most humiliating moment in my life," Santana mumbled softly.

"You have no reason to be humiliated right now," Rachel assured her. "Your husband is a bastard and this is all his fault."

"I should have been more careful with B," Santana sighed as she ran a hand through her hair and sipped her beer.

"You and Brit are friends," Rachel reminded her. "You didn't do anything wrong with her."

"It doesn't matter," Santana murmured. "I'm through with him."

"You have to be," Rachel agreed. "Because if you think Quinn, Brit and I are going to ever let him near you again without one of us killing him you're mistaken."

Santana allowed a ghost of a smile to grace her lips before sighing heavily again.

"So why take the pictures if you aren't pressing charges?" Rachel asked softly.

"I have a friend who's a cop and I want to give him a copy in case anything happens," Santana explained.

Rachel suddenly looked alarmed. "What kind of anything?"

Santana shook her head. "I just mean in case he tries to push me around or acts like an ass."

"Last night wasn't him acting like enough of an ass?" Rachel asked.

"Drop it, Rach," Santana warned softly.

"It's not that easy," Rachel responded. "What if it was me or Quinn or Brit standing in this room with your injuries? Would you be so quick to dismiss it?"

"No, but-," Santana started.

"But nothing," Rachel interrupted. "He hurt my dear friend and I want to see him get run over by a cab for it. You'd feel the same way."

"I have to get changed so I can drop these off before we leave," Santana mumbled, effectively ending that conversation.

"I'll change and come with so you don't even have to get out of the cab," Rachel told her.

"Thanks," Santana whispered as she headed for the guest room to change. She was halted by a gentle hand on her wrist and she hated that her first instinct was to wrench herself free. She had always been a very affectionate person with those that were closest to her, always wanting a hug or to hold hands, and he had stolen that from her too.

"Sorry," Rachel apologized immediately, obviously seeing something in the Latina's eyes that was haunted. She dropped Santana's hand immediately.

Santana shook her head and reached for Rachel's hand again. "No. Don't. I'm sorry."

Rachel approached slowly and pulled Santana into another long hug. "Don't apologize to me or anyone else for this. Whatever you need. Okay?"

"Thanks, Rach," Santana whispered. She smiled when Rachel squeezed her tightly again and sighed. "You're kind of awesome, you know?"

Rachel laughed and pulled back, keeping hold of Santana's hands. "You are too. Now go get dressed. Quinn will be back soon and I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to the beach."

A ghost of a smile found its way to Santana's lips. "Thanks, Rach. Everything you guys are doing for me…it means the world."

"Anytime," Rachel told her. And she meant it. Santana had become one of those people in her life that she would do anything for. The feeling was entirely mutual and both girls knew it, solidifying their friendship even more.

**XX**

**A.N. **Well I hope this lived up to expectations…like I said I had some trouble with parts of this one. Anyways, up next we should have a bit of a conversation with Q and Richard. That should be interesting…and then the girls are off to the beach for a few days! Please let me know your thoughts and thanks so much for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

A.N. Hi guys! Before we start I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story. It means a lot! But now on to the fun…Q and Richard finally have a little chat…

Enjoy!

**XX**

"Hello, Dick," Quinn greeted with a wide fake smile.

He looked up and sighed. "Forever Single. How…wonderful." His tone was sarcastic as he glanced around the busy hallway.

"Since it literally makes me ill to even look at you, I'll keep this short," she told him in a low, even voice. "If you come near her again I'll kill you. Then I'll hire your wife to get me off."

"She has a thing for pretty blonde girls, she'd probably get you off for free," he told her with a sneer.

Her eyes narrowed and she leaned in closer to him. "Stay the hell away from her."

He glared at her for a moment before grabbing hold of her arm and dragging her into an empty room nearby.

"Get your damn hands off me," she growled as she pulled her arm out of his grasp.

He leaned in close to her, his eyes narrowing. "I have no idea what you're insinuating about Santana, but she is my wife, I can do with her as I please and see her as I please."

"Half the people on your floor heard you last night, you asshole," she growled at him.

"What's your point?" He suddenly smirked and she had to refrain from slapping the shit out of him. "I'm one of the most respected surgeons in this hospital."

"And your wife works for the biggest firm in the city," Quinn pointed out with a smirk of her own. "You really want to go up against them? You may be a brilliant surgeon but you are one dumb bastard." She flinched when he slammed his hand into the wall directly beside her head but a moment later she was smirking when she saw fear and panic in her eyes.

"Get the hell out of this hospital before I call security," he told her in a low voice.

She grinned. "Stay away from her, Dick. They will _bury_ you for this. And if they don't, I will." With that she wiggled her fingers in a wave and headed out the door behind her. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she walked down the hall. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Rachel.

"Are you okay?"

Just hearing her voice was enough to calm Quinn's nerves and she felt her inner resolve returning quickly. "Hey. I'm fine."

"How did it go?"

"Better than I thought," Quinn told her as she headed through the front door and headed for the parking garage. "He was scared."

"Good. Do you think he'll stay away from her?"

"Let's hope so."

"I'm not glad you're there, but I'm glad you went," Rachel told her softly.

"How is she?" Quinn asked as she got into her car.

"Tired and hurting. And really quiet. Can you run by the pharmacy on your way back?" Rachel asked. "She had her doctor call a prescription in."

"Sure," Quinn replied. "Is she okay?"

"It's for an emergency contraceptive," Rachel admitted in a hushed tone.

"Oh," Quinn replied with a frown. "Have her text me the pharmacy address and I'll pick it up on my way back. Do you two need anything else?"

"Just you," Rachel told her.

Quinn could hear the smile in her voice and it made her grin. "Love you."

"Love you too."

"I'll be home soon," Quinn promised.

"Okay, be careful."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

**XX**

"You drive like my grandmother, Fabray," Santana pointed out with a sigh. "I'm driving us home."

"Oh no you're not," Rachel argued. "Your road rage is bad enough when you're _not_ driving."

"It is not," Santana grumbled.

"Screaming at some 78 year old woman for not letting us in on the highway was a bit much," Quinn agreed.

"Especially since you were screaming in my ear," Rachel pointed out. She turned sideways in her seat so she could face the other two.

Santana rolled her eyes but remained quiet. Quinn caught a glance of her in the rearview mirror. "Are you okay?"

"It means a lot that you guys are acting normally," Santana told them both as she leaned forward between the two front seats. She tried to smile but instead slumped against Rachel's seat and sighed.

"Are you feeling alright?" Rachel asked. She pressed her hand to Santana's forehead and frowned. "You feel warm."

Santana nodded. "It's the morning after pill. It has me feeling a bit sick."

"I threw a pillow in the very back," Quinn told her. "Why don't you take a nap? Maybe when you wake up you'll feel better."

Santana nodded absently. "I am tired." She reached into the backseat of the SUV and located the pillow, dropping it into the seat next to her and curling up so she could try to get some rest.

Rachel glanced over her shoulder and watched Santana wince and shift her position, unable to get comfortable. "Maybe you should take another pain pill, San. It might help you sleep."

Santana sighed and nodded reluctantly. She hated the haze of painkillers. "It'll probably help."

Rachel nodded and handed her a bottle of water from the cooler between the front seats, watching as Santana pulled a few bottles from her purse and took a pain pill. She smiled a moment later when Quinn's hand slid into hers and squeezed gently.

There had been a shift between the two of them since the night before and Rachel felt like both of them realized again how lucky they both were that they'd found each other again and they were so in love. Like their relationship had been injected with an extra dose of tenderness. Or perhaps it was just silent promises that neither of them ever had to worry about going through what their dear friend was experiencing.

**XX**

Quinn pulled the car up in front of the quaint two-story house an hour and a half later and she smiled at the sight of it.

"How long have you had this place?" she asked.

Rachel shrugged. "I bought it last year thinking I'd use it all the time but I never really made it up here much."

"I like it," Quinn told her with a grin.

"Come inside, you'll like it more." Rachel turned in her seat and frowned knowing she'd have to wake Santana who had been sleeping rather soundly. She reached around and placed an arm on the sleeping girl's arm. "San? We're here."

Santana blinked in a haze, hating waking up on painkillers even more than being on them in the first place. She rolled her neck and shoulders and stepped out of the car, shuffling up to the other two and resting her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"Do you feel any better?" Quinn asked, looping an arm around Santana's shoulders.

Santana shook her head, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "Sleeping on painkillers isn't sleep, it's just being unconscious."

"I'm sorry," Quinn told her softly. "You can sleep all afternoon if you want."

"I wish B was here," she sighed as they followed Rachel up the driveway.

The girls headed inside and found the décor to be simple yet modern. The house was right on the beach and the back wall of the house seemed to be made up of nothing but huge windows giving them fantastic views of the ocean.

"This is amazing," Quinn said.

"There's a hot tub out back," Rachel told them. She glanced at Santana. "A soak might help you feel better." She pointed at the stairs. "There's a bedroom and bathroom upstairs that you and Brit can have. Make yourselves at home. I called ahead and had the refrigerator stocked but if there's something I forgot we can have someone deliver another round of groceries."

Santana nodded and headed for the stairs. "I think I'm going to take a nap."

The other two watched her trudge up the steps and exchanged a glance. Quinn pulled Rachel into her arms and took in a deep breath, inhaling everything about the other girl and feeling calmer instantly.

Rachel grasped one of Quinn's hands in hers and pulled her towards the master bedroom and shut the door behind them. She didn't bother with any lights as she shed her sweater and shoes.

"Rach," Quinn whispered.

The diva shook her head and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to the blonde. "Come here."

Quinn approached slowly, moving to stand between Rachel's knees, the brunette's hands instantly snaking around her waist and pulling her close. Quinn gazed down at the other girl, brushing soft tendrils of hair from her face and pressing a kiss to her lips. She realized in that instant what Rachel needed so she pulled back enough to shed her own sweater. She kicked off her shoes and slid her jeans down her legs, pulling Rachel up to help her do the same.

The pair climbed up into the bed and wrapped themselves in each other, trying to remain as close as possible. Rachel just wanted to be held and Quinn was happy to oblige.

Rachel sighed when the blonde's arms wrapped around her and tried to focus on the moment. While Santana was sleeping she wanted a moment with Quinn to remind them both that things between them were the best they'd ever been and as they lay there in the quiet darkening room something passed between them letting them both know that they'd be just fine.

**XX**

**A.N. **Okay so I know the confrontation between Quinn and Richard was a bit understated, but I really feel like that's how Quinn would handle it. Short and to the point. Trust me, there's still plenty of drama on the horizon…

Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you thought!


	15. Chapter 15

A.N. Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews, you guys are awesome! Next part!

**XX**

Rachel and Quinn remained in bed for a few hours, content to snuggle and cuddle, chatting as random topics came to mind but also enjoying the silence. Around 5 that evening they got up and showered, changing into comfortable clothes and headed for the kitchen to make dinner. Quinn was making homemade chicken noodle soup, mostly because she knew Santana and Brittany loved it since she had gotten the recipe from Brittany's mom, when the doorbell rang. They exchanged a glance and Rachel headed for the front door.

Rachel pulled the door open to the house and smiled, pulling the blonde on the stoop in for a long hug. "Hi, Brit."

Brittany smiled. "Hi, Rach."

"How was your trip?" Rachel asked as she pulled her into the house.

"Great," Brittany told her. "Thank you for sending a car. I would have gotten really lost."

"No problem." Rachel closed the door and locked it.

"Where are Q and S?"

"Quinn is in the kitchen and Santana is upstairs. Quinn and I need to talk to you about something really quick."

Brittany frowned. "Is everything okay?"

Rachel nodded and pulled her towards the kitchen. "Come on."

Quinn greeted her with a hug. "Hi, B."

"What's going on?" Brittany asked, growing more worried by the second. It was especially strange that Santana hadn't greeted her at the door.

"Brit, it's about S," Quinn told her, exchanging a glance with Rachel.

Rachel sighed, deciding to get right to the point. "Santana's husband attacked her last night. That's why we're here. We wanted to get her out of the city for a few days and far away from him."

"What?" Brittany gasped. Her hand pressed to her chest as it felt like her breath was literally stolen from her lungs.

"Brit, it's going to be okay," Quinn told her gently. "She's going to be okay. She just looks…"

"Like she's in a lot of pain," Rachel supplied.

"I want to see her."

Rachel nodded. "She's upstairs."

Brittany exchanged a look with each of them and headed for the stairs. She knocked on Santana's door. "S? It's me."

The door opened and Brittany stepped into the room and gasped when she saw Santana's face. "Oh my God, Santana."

That was all it took for Santana to fall into Brittany's arms and sob. They sank to the floor as blonde held her closely and rocked the distraught girl slowly, whispering comforting words into her ear.

"It's okay, I'm here," Brittany told her quietly. She kissed her forehead. "I'm right here." She caught sight of an angry bruise darkening the delicate skin of the Latina's wrist and she frowned. She had a feeling that wasn't the worst of it.

"I'm so sorry, Brit," Santana cried.

Brittany shushed her gently. "It's okay, San. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Santana looked up at her in that instant, her eyes wide and questioning, her cheeks glistening with tears. "Do you mean that?"

"I do." Brittany kissed her forehead once more gently and pulled the shaking brunette tighter into her arms. "What did he do to you, S?"

Santana shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "Brit, I can't…"

"Let me see," Brittany requested gently, her voice soft and soothing.

Santana looked up at her with terrified eyes.

"It's okay," Brittany whispered. "I promise."

Santana swallowed hard and stood up slowly. She pulled her tee shirt over her head, revealing several bruises to her ribs and chest. She unbuttoned her shorts and let them pool at her feet. The bruises on her inner thighs took the unmistakable shape of large fingers and it nearly made Brittany sick. She reached out and pulled Santana closer to her and wrapped her arms around the brunette.

"He's never touching you again."

Brittany guided them to the bed and pulled the covers back, helping Santana slide between the sheets. She slid in next to her and pulled the trembling girl into her embrace. She ghosted her fingers over Santana's arms and her back and whispered promises into her ear until the Latina's breathing slacked and she fell into a fitful sleep.

**XX**

"She's asleep," Brittany sighed as she entered the kitchen about an hour later. Her eyes were red and her face blotchy, evidence that she'd been crying. A lot.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked.

Brittany shook her head. "How did this happen?"

"I'm sorry we didn't call you," Rachel told her. "I don't think she wanted you to see how bad it was."

Brittany sighed. "Even when she's at her worst she's still trying to protect me."

"She loves you," Quinn told her gently, setting a bowl of soup in front of her.

Brittany stared at the bowl for a minute before taking a few bites. "This is really good."

"Your mom's recipe," Quinn told her with a wink.

"Really?" Brittany asked hopefully. "I'll bring some to S when she gets up. She loves mom's soup."

Quinn smiled. "I remember."

Santana slept for the remainder of the night and well into the next day as well. It was a fitful sleep, the calm quiet punctuated with her startled screams and cries. She had been holding herself together fairly well in front of the other girls but it seemed that when it was time for her subconscious to come out and play it showed them all how she was really feeling.

Brittany shouldered most of the emotional load when it came to Santana. She would stay with the brunette until she fell asleep and moments and minutes after. Then she would creep downstairs and join the other two on the back deck around the fire pit until Santana's dreams wouldn't allow her further rest. Then she would race to the other girl's side, whispering, comforting and soothing Santana back into a fitful slumber.

By the time Santana woke up the third time, a guttural scream scaring them all, Brittany decided it was best to just remain by the other girl's side. She stroked the brunette's hair and whispered in her ear whenever she would become restless and Santana seemed to respond immediately, calming down once again.

Santana awoke around 8 that night and blinked sleepily up at the blonde who was watching her carefully.

"I'd ask you to tell me it was all a dream but I hurt like hell," Santana whispered in the dark.

Brittany pressed her lips to the brunette's temple gently. "You're gonna be okay, San. I promise."

"B," Santana sobbed suddenly. Her body shuddered as each sob wracked her small frame, each one causing Brittany to pull her closer.

Brittany wasn't a violent person by nature but she had been silently plotting a certain doctor's death while the girl in her arms had been sleeping and she knew that she'd never carry out any of those plans, but the way Santana was sobbing in her arms, shaking and trembling, she was seriously considering pushing him in front of a moving bus and laughing while it dragged his body away.

And that was saying something.

**XX**

As tired as she was, Santana didn't think she could sleep anymore. She kept her eyes trained on the ceiling, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing outside the house and the steady breathing from the warm body next to hers in bed. She was incredibly comforted by the blonde's presence and she felt a calm settle over her and wash away the fear, anger and sadness that had been plaguing her since the night Richard had attacked her.

She sighed thinking about what a mess her life had become, her bottom lip sliding between two rows of teeth as she pondered how this had happened to her.

She was distracted suddenly by a warm hand on her arm and fingertips tracing imaginary patterns on her skin. Suddenly feelings of shame and embarrassment came from out of nowhere and slammed into her with the weight of a freight train and she was unable to meet the eyes that seemed to be penetrating her even in the dark of the room.

"S," Brittany whispered.

Santana swallowed hard, her eyes blinking rapidly to hold off the tears, but refused to meet the other girl's eyes.

"San, please," Brittany coaxed softly, her hand squeezing the brunette's arm gently.

Santana shook her head, her chin quivered as her tears finally made their escape, slipping silently down her cheeks.

"Santana look at me," Brittany begged softly, her own voice thick with emotion.

That was all it really took for Santana to turn enough to meet Brittany's eyes and as usual the blonde knew exactly what she needed before she did. Brittany's eyes held the one thing she'd been seeking since the attack: forgiveness.

She wasn't even sure why she felt she needed it. Maybe because her friends had been telling her to leave him for months or maybe because she never should have married him in the first place and now she was suffering the consequences and all she wanted was for someone to tell her they forgave her for being so stupid.

She realized how stupid she was being because none of this was her fault. She knew that, deep down where it mattered, but she still couldn't help the compulsion that had been plaguing her to gain forgiveness from _someone_. _Anyone_. _Everyone_. Hell, she really couldn't tell anymore.

"Please, B, I'm sorry," Santana whispered, her voice carrying her desperation across the small space between them.

"It's okay," Brittany whispered, pulling the brunette into her arms again. "Everything is okay."

Santana felt the shift. The proverbial weight being lifted off her shoulders and she'd never really understood the expression until that moment when she really did feel lighter and part of her almost really believed that everything really would be okay.

Almost.

**XX**

**A.N. **Thanks for reading! I hope you guys can take a minute to let me know your thoughts. This one was definitely a transition chapter, and there might be one more of them before we hit some more high drama, but I do have something especially sweet coming soon so stick with me!


	16. Chapter 16

**A.N. **Been a while I know…hope this next part makes up for it. I have some good Q/R goodness on the horizon but this one is mostly some good friendship stuff with the girls. Enjoy!

**XX**

The four girls were spread around the living room enjoying a bottle of wine in front of the fireplace where a crackling fire burned brightly before them.

Quinn and Rachel were on the floor sprawled out on a thick bed of pillows and blankets. Santana and Brittany were huddled together on the couch; Brittany leaned back against the armrest with Santana between her legs leaning back against her chest. Brittany's arms were wrapped loosely around Santana's middle and the two of them chatted quietly.

"Santana, would you mind if I asked you something?" Rachel asked tentatively. She was lying on her back propped up on several pillows with Quinn's head resting against her stomach.

Santana shook her head slowly, knowing exactly where this was going.

Rachel chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Why did you marry him? He doesn't appear to have many, if any, redeeming qualities and I just can't imagine why someone like you would marry someone like him."

Santana's eyes immediately sought Quinn's, who gave her an encouraging smile, then she craned around to meet Brittany's gaze briefly. She sighed. "He got me pregnant." She paused and laughed humorlessly. "It makes so much sense now that I think about it."

"What does?" Brit asked.

Santana sighed. "He was supposed to take care of the birth control, he told me I didn't need to worry about it, especially since the pill made me so sick. He probably skipped the condom so I'd become his stupid pregnant and barefoot slave or something."

"That sounds like something he would do," Quinn agreed.

"But you don't have a baby," Rachel pointed out. "Do you?"

Santana shook her head. "No. I got pregnant and he proposed. We just did it shotgun style. Then I lost the baby." She swiped at the tears streaking down her cheeks. "I was devastated by it, but part of me was happy. I'd just finished my first year of law school and I knew I'd never finish if I was pregnant. It sounds terrible, I know."

"No it doesn't," Rachel told her.

Santana shook her head. "He wanted to try again right away. Something about the way he was pushing made me go to my doctor and get some back up just in case he forgot again."

Santana's phone suddenly buzzed and she reached over to the side table to grab it, sliding it open to reveal a voicemail from Richard.

"Fuck that," she whispered as she deleted it without listening to it and tossed the phone back onto the table with a clang.

"What's up?" Quinn asked.

"Dick leaving a voicemail," Santana replied as she settled back into Brittany's embrace.

Rachel paused for a moment, her face suddenly scrunched up in thought. "Wait a minute. He came home early."

"Yeah," Santana agreed.

"So you never got to give him the papers," Quinn realized.

Santana shook her head. "Nope. But the plan is to walk into the hospital in broad daylight, when these bruises are really gnarly, and hand him the papers myself so everyone can see me make him squirm."

Quinn grinned instantly. "Can I watch? Please?"

Santana nodded. "Sure. We can stop on our way home."

"Really?" Rachel asked excitedly. She would have paid money to see him squirm.

Santana rolled her eyes. "I promise you guys can be there."

"Hey, San?" Quinn asked. She had been watching Brittany's fingers gently trace a few bruises on the Latina's arm and her curiosity was getting the better of her.

Santana met her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?" the blonde wondered. Santana nodded wordlessly. "Was that the first time he's done anything like this?"

Santana swallowed hard, that not being what she thought her friend would ask. She wanted to lie. To tell them that she hadn't been stupid enough to stay with someone that had hurt her more than once but she knew she couldn't lie. "Not really."

Quinn's face crumpled at the admission and Santana heard Brittany sniffle behind her. She pulled Brittany's arms tighter around her and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Remember the night we saw you guys in the lobby of the apartment?" The other two nodded. "When we got upstairs he called Rachel a dyke."

"What?" Quinn growled, her eyes darkening with anger.

Santana shook her head. "I told him he was an asshole. Then he grabbed me. It's not a big deal."

Brittany reached for the sleeve of her shirt and pushed it up gently, ignoring the brunette's protests and she ran the pads of her fingers over one particular bruise that had faded more than the others.

"You told me you fell," Brittany whispered.

"I'm sorry, B."

"You lied to me."

"Brit…" Santana trailed off, desperation playing in her eyes.

Quinn grasped Rachel's hand and pulled her up from the floor and they headed for the bedroom to give the other two some privacy.

"You promised you wouldn't lie to me again," Brittany whispered, her fingers still playing lightly over the bruised skin of Santana's arm.

"B, I was too ashamed to admit what had really happened," Santana pleaded softly. "I promise I would never lie to you about anything else."

"You promised before and then you did anyways," Brittany pointed out, her face crumpling.

"What if I pinky swear?" Santana asked, a hint of a hopeful smile playing on her lips.

Brittany shot her a disapproving look, knowing she couldn't resist the look Santana was giving her at the moment. "You're lucky you've never broken one of those."

Santana held her hand up, pinky raised and Brittany linked their fingers together and they both kissed their thumbs.

"No more lies," Santana whispered. "Ever."

"Pinky swear me one more thing," Brittany requested softly, their hands still linked.

"Anything," Santana swore.

"That the minute we get home you give him the divorce papers," Brittany told her. "I want you to be mine."

"My heart has been yours since the moment we met," Santana replied softly. "But I pinky swear that I will give him those papers on the way home and in a month I'll be completely yours. Forever if you want me to be."

"I want you to be," Brittany whispered.

"I want me to be too," Santana replied.

Brittany pulled the brunette into her arms, hating that she couldn't kiss Santana or take her to bed to show her just how much she loved her. She hated it, but she knew it wouldn't be too much longer before Santana was hers again.

**XX**

Santana reached behind her and grasped her beer bottle in her hand, taking a long sip of it and setting it back on the edge of the hot tub behind her. Rachel had been right about feeling better being submerged in the water with the jets massaging her tired body. She'd been unable to sleep and managed to untangle herself from Brittany's embrace in bed, knowing that the blonde could sleep through a tornado and was emotionally exhausted by the ordeal that they'd been living.

She had lit several candles and placed them around the edge of the hot tub and grabbed a six-pack of beer from the fridge and settled into the hot tub nearly an hour ago. Her fingers were starting to prune but the water felt so good that she didn't really care.

The door behind her opened and she craned her neck around and saw Quinn peeking outside, squinting into the darkness.

"San?" she asked as she stepped out onto the deck and pulled the door shut behind her.

"Hey, Q," Santana greeted. "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same," Quinn replied with a yawn. She pulled the sweater around her tighter and shivered in the darkness. "Are you alright?"

Santana nodded. "I couldn't sleep. B was talking to whoever it is that she talks to in her dreams and I couldn't really get comfortable."

"She still does that?" Quinn asked with a smile. She remembered having sleepovers when they were younger and being woken up in the middle of the night to Brittany having rather in depth conversations in her sleep.

Santana nodded. "This thing with B doesn't look bad, does it?"

"What do you mean?" Quinn frowned. She pulled a beer out of the bucket of ice and twisted the top off, taking a sip.

Santana shook her head. "My marriage was falling apart. I was holding it together with duct tape and then B comes back into my life and I'm in love with her again so fast that I barely had a moment to breathe. If my marriage had been amazing I'd still love her more than ever. You know that right?"

"Honey, you've loved her since the moment you met and she asked you where babies come from," Quinn replied.

Santana laughed at the memory. "You're right."

"San, you have got to learn to let go of what people think," Quinn told her. "Live your life and to hell with the rest of them."

"I know," Santana sighed. She was quiet for a long time as she watched Quinn sit on the edge of the hot tub and roll her pajama pants up enough to put her feet in the water. She bit her bottom lip, worrying it between her teeth. "What the hell happened to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I let someone hurt me," Santana explained, her voice dropping, thick with tears. "Not just slap in the face hurt. Like beat my ass hurt. What the fuck is going on? Someone who I loved once and someone I was stupid enough to trust. I let him hurt me. Twice."

"San, as much as I wish you had castrated him for what he did to you, I worry that as big as he is…he could have killed you," Quinn whispered. Her heart wrenched painfully in her chest knowing that fighting back against someone like that very well could have gotten her best friend injured further and very possibly killed.

"I don't even know who I am any more," Santana admitted softly.

"Santana, you are one of the greatest people I've ever known," Quinn assured her. "You and I have been best friends for 16 years so I know what I'm talking about. Maybe the confused, angry, bitter high school version of yourself would have exacted painful, embarrassing revenge on him the moment he lifted a finger towards you, but that doesn't mean that you're not who you've always been at the very core."

"Do you think it was a mistake not to call the police?" Santana asked.

"I don't know," Quinn sighed. "But I wish you had. As long as you never have to see him again I'll be happy."

"I'm thinking about pressing charges when we get home," Santana admitted.

Quinn's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow."

Santana shrugged. "I just keep thinking about how if this had happened to Brit or you or Rachel I would have strung the guy up by his balls for hurting one of my girls then I would have sent his ass to jail."

"Whatever you decide to do we're all behind you," Quinn told her.

"Overcrowding and good behavior could have him out too quickly," Santana mumbled, almost like she was thinking out loud. "But at least it would be a few years that I wouldn't have to look over my shoulder for him or one of those PI's he hires to follow me. And I wouldn't have to worry about him going after Brittany."

"That's what you're really worried about," Quinn realized.

Santana nodded. "It scares me to death."

Quinn sighed, her fingers tearing at the label on her bottle cradled in both of her hands. "I get it. I'd feel the same way."

"He knows who she is," Santana muttered. "I just can't risk her."

"I'd kill anyone that went after Rachel," Quinn told her. "Trust me, you don't have to explain."

Santana nodded. "I'm gonna do it."

Quinn grinned. "Good. The right thing is never the easy thing and you're doing the right thing. I'm proud of you."

Santana snorted. "Took me long enough."

"Hush," Quinn shushed her playfully. "Just remember that once you're free of him you have a girl waiting for you that loves her more than she loves herself and she would do anything for you."

"God I love her," Santana sighed, a small smile working its way to her lips. "I lived a long time wondering if my life was some kind of karmic revenge. Ya know, getting me back for being such a bitch in high school. I was successful, but so unhappy it hurt. Maybe the bad karma is almost gone."

"It's gone," Quinn assured her. "I have a feeling the worst is over."

"I hope so," Santana sighed. "I can't handle much more."

"You deserve to be happy, Santana," Quinn said. "And I have a feeling you'll be very, very happy soon."

Santana let those words play in her mind for a few moments and nodded, standing up in the hot tub, pulling a towel around her quickly. "Thanks, Q."

"Anytime," Quinn replied with a grin. She leaned over to pick up the empty beer bottles and blow out the candles, both girls heading back into the house.

A few minutes later they both ended up leaned against their respective bedroom doors, each staring at the girl that made them so ridiculously happy.

**XX**

**A.N. **Thanks so much for reading! Please review and let me know your thoughts!


	17. Chapter 17

A.N. I know it's been forever…I'm really sorry! I've been super busy lately. But, the super sweet part I've been promising is in this chapter so hopefully that will make up for my slow updates lately. Also, much more Faberry in this one for those of you who have been asking for it!

Enjoy, and thanks so much for reading!

**XX**

Santana shuffled into the kitchen the next morning and found Quinn standing at the stove making pancakes.

"Those smell amazing," Santana greeted quietly.

Quinn grinned. "Thanks. Are you hungry?"

Santana shrugged a shoulder as she dug through her purse. "I feel like hell. That's about the extent that my brain can process this morning."

Quinn slid a few pancakes onto a plate and set them on the counter with a glass of orange juice. "Eat a few bites and see if you can hold it down."

Santana located the pill bottle she'd been searching for and popped a vicodin, swallowing it down with some orange juice. "Thanks."

"How are you feeling otherwise?"

Santana shook her head and lowered herself into a chair at the table gingerly. "Like I got hit by a truck." She took a few bites of her breakfast, her eyes closing in delight as she chewed. "Mmm, if Berry doesn't make you her wife soon I may beat her to the punch. These are so good."

"I think a certain blonde might have something to say about that," Quinn told her with a wink. She moved around the counter, cupping Santana's chin gently and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Brittany suddenly made an appearance, making her way to stand behind Santana, dropping her hands to the brunette's shoulders and leaning over to drop a few light kisses to her temple. "Morning."

"Hey, B," Santana greeted with a tired, but glowing smile.

"Morning, B." Quinn grinned and ran a hand down Santana's arm, moving back to the stove to get the other blonde breakfast. She smiled watching them from the corner of her eye. It was so painfully obvious that her friends were still completely in love with each other and now that Santana was definitely leaving that bastard she was sure they'd end up together again.

"How are you feeling?" Brit asked as she took the seat next to Santana and ran a hand over her hair affectionately.

Santana soaked in the attention for a moment before she shrugged. "I'll be alright."

"Don't play tough with me," Brittany ordered. "You know I hate it."

"I feel like hell," Santana admitted with a sigh.

"The second day after is the worst," Brittany told her with a sympathetic frown.

Quinn nodded. "It always is."

The three girls thought back to cheerleading camps and they all knew that you were always the sorest two days after an injury or serious workout.

"Where's Rach?" Brittany asked. She smiled a moment later when Quinn set a plate of pancakes in front of her.

"In the shower," Quinn told her. Suddenly a thought occurred to her and a wicked grin spread on her lips. "In fact…." Her statement hung in the air around them and headed for the master bathroom, ignoring the knowing look Santana was giving her as she passed.

Quinn headed for the bathroom and pushed the door open, smiling when she heard Rachel humming Defying Gravity and she pulled her shirt over her head. She shed the rest of her clothes quickly and pulled the shower door open, laughing when Rachel gasped at the gush of cool air hitting her back.

"Quinn, you scared me," Rachel told her.

The blonde smiled and ducked under the spray of hot water. "Sorry. You don't mind company, do you?"

Rachel allowed her eyes to rake over the body before her, hunger evident in her eyes and she shook her head. "Definitely not."

Quinn smiled wider and leaned in slowly to press her lips to Rachel's, her fingers idly tracing the curve of the brunette's hip.

Rachel's eyes fluttered and closed as she deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck. "Mmm, you feel amazing."

Quinn pulled back slightly, staring into Rachel's eyes for a long moment. "I love you so much."

"I can promise it's not as much as I love you," Rachel mumbled as she leaned in again, her lips brushing Quinn's gently.

Quinn's hands stroked up Rachel's stomach and cupped her breast gently, her thumb grazing the brunette's nipple. She wrapped one arm around her girlfriend, allowing her other hand to travel further south.

Rachel's eyes rolled back slightly as Quinn's fingers eased inside her and she dropped her forehead against the blonde's shoulder. Quinn pumped slowly at first, her thumb grazing the brunette's clit, wincing slightly as teeth suddenly came into contact with the skin of her shoulder.

Quinn tilted her head to watch her lover, smiling adoringly at the way Rachel's eyes were shut tightly, a slight crease in her forehead. Her mouth hung open slightly and her hair hung in wet waves around her face.

She'd never looked more beautiful.

Quinn pumped faster when she felt Rachel clench around her fingers, knowing the brunette was close. She pressed her thumb into Rachel's clit hard and smiled when the other girl came hard.

Rachel grasped onto Quinn as her orgasm rocked her nearly off her feet and slowly Quinn reduced the movement of her fingers inside her girlfriend, allowing the brunette to ride out her orgasm.

"Oh my God," Rachel breathed, pressing a shaky kiss to the side of Quinn's neck. She raised her eyes and laughed at the proud grin quirking the blonde's lips. "That was kind of amazing."

Quinn kissed her quickly. "Good." She leaned over to grab the shampoo bottle and squeezed some into her palm, reaching out to lather her girlfriend's hair.

Rachel allowed Quinn to wash and rinse her hair out, loving how Quinn's eyes darkened as the blonde watched her. She grinned deviously and pulled Quinn into her body, sliding a thigh between Quinn's.

Her lips dropped to Quinn's neck, pressing light kisses up to the sensitive skin behind her ear. She smiled, her hands sliding behind Quinn, splaying against the skin of her bare back, pulling her close and offering support as Quinn rocked against her.

"Kiss me," Quinn begged suddenly.

Rachel obliged immediately, kissing Quinn hungrily and deeply. She loved kissing the blonde. It made her feel so intimately connected to her girlfriend.

Quinn rocked more quickly and Rachel held her close with one arm, the other dropping to cup her breast, teasing an erect nipple for only a few short seconds before she felt the blonde shudder against her and slacken in her arms.

"Does this mean I have to wash your hair now?" Rachel asked suddenly.

Quinn burst out laughing, overwhelmed by the euphoria of the moment. She dropped her head to Rachel's shoulder, shaking her head slightly. "No."

Rachel smiled and grabbed the bottle anyways, lathering up Quinn's hair and rinsing a minute later.

"Mmm, you're amazing," Quinn hummed, closing her eyes as Rachel raked fingers through her hair.

Rachel smiled, watching every move the blonde made, her chest aching in a way she'd never felt before. "I love you." She was surprised at the emotion thickening her voice and her head dropped.

Quinn's eyes opened instantly, picking up on the change in her girlfriend's voice as well. A frown creased her forehead for a moment, her head tilting slightly. "Rach, that's a good thing."

Rachel met her gaze and nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "I never thought I would ever be so lucky to be this in love." She swallowed hard as tears slid down her cheeks. "Is it wrong that I'm waiting for a shoe to drop?"

"No," Quinn told her softly, reaching up to cup her face and swipe the brunette's tears away with her thumbs. "But you shouldn't. It's completely natural to feel that way when life is almost too good to be true."

"Do you feel that way sometimes?" Rachel asked.

Quinn nodded. "Of course. It's hard not to. Especially after what happened to Santana."

"How is she this morning?" Rachel asked.

"She's sore," Quinn responded. "But I think she's gonna be okay."

"She will be," Rachel agreed as she reached around Quinn to shut off the water. She stepped from the shower and had them both wrapped in fluffy towels in no time.

They were dressed again a few minutes later and they joined the other two on the back porch.

"It's about time," Santana grumbled good-naturedly as they sat down in the loungers on the back deck.

Rachel shot a wink at Quinn and grabbed a glass of orange juice from the table, taking a sip. "Don't be jealous that you're not breaking your own rule not to sleep with Brit until you're officially divorced."

"Busted," Quinn giggled.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Berry."

"You're totally jealous," Quinn told her.

"I know," Santana sighed, a pout forming on her lips.

"No one will think badly of you," Rachel told her.

Santana huffed a sigh and rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, I know. But it's the right thing to do." She met Quinn's eyes. "And the right thing is never the easy thing."

Quinn grinned and nodded her head.

Rachel glanced between the two of them and shrugged, figuring it was another one of those things that she'd probably never understand.

"I had security cameras put in the apartment," Santana admitted suddenly, deciding it was time to come completely clean.

"You did?" Quinn asked, her eyes wide. She noticed similar looks of shock on Rachel and Brittany's faces.

Santana nodded. "After he grabbed me I wanted to be sure that I'd have proof if he ever did anything like that again."

"So that night…" Rachel trailed off.

"All on tape," Santana told them. "And that with the pictures is more than enough to have him put in prison for a long time."

"Then why don't you?" Brittany asked softly.

"Part of me wants to and I think I will," Santana replied. "The other part of me wants to be cruel and tease him with the knowledge that I have his balls in a vice and I can squeeze whenever I feel like it."

"That sounds like our old friend Santana," Quinn told her with a smirk.

"Head bitch in charge," Santana agreed.

"You're really thinking about pressing charges?" Rachel asked.

Santana nodded. "I'm going to. As soon as we get home." She laughed a minute later when all three girls nearly piled on top of her hugging her.

She knew she was making the right choice, however difficult it would be. She also knew that she wouldn't be going through any of it alone. She knew she had the love and support of three people that meant the world to her and that was more than enough.

**XX**

"I'm still really worried about Santana," Rachel admitted later that day. She and Quinn were walking hand in hand down the beach. The sun was setting, glistening off the water in a burst of pinks, oranges and yellows and it made both girls glow in an eerie, yet beautiful way.

As much as she agreed with her girlfriend, Quinn had to smile a little at the statement. "I never thought I'd ever see the day that you two were as close as you are."

"I love her like a sister," Rachel admitted. "It's really nice actually."

"She loves you too," Quinn told her. "And I love you that much more because you're so good to my best friend. It means the world to me that you get along as well as you do with her."

"It's not hard to get along with her," Rachel replied with a smile. Her heart warmed at Quinn's admissions. "Though as much as I love this new her, I kind of wish the Santana from high school really would make an appearance. Can you imagine if someone had acted the way her husband did to her in high school? She would have strung him to the flag pole and completely humiliated him."

"I know what you mean," Quinn told her. "An appearance from Head Bitch in Charge would be kind of nice."

"Part of me wonders if he killed that part of her," Rachel admitted. Her features turned into a deep frown that creased her brow. "And I think that would be kind of devastating."

"It's still there," Quinn assured her. "I've seen her in court. She's still got it, trust me. I think she just forgot that she has just as much power now as she did then. She just has to remember how to use it."

"Yeah…" Rachel sighed. She looped her arm through Quinn's and moved closer to her so they were walking shoulder to shoulder.

"I think the hardest part is over," Quinn said with a shrug. "At least I hope it is."

"Me too."

The two of them walked silently for a while, just enjoying the fresh air and the sun as it set around them. Even though the water was freezing as it broke in huge waves to their left, they never strayed too far from the surf washing up on the shore.

"It's too bad we're not here on under happier circumstances," Quinn sighed.

"Why is that?" Rachel asked.

"Because, if we were I'd probably be asking you to marry me right now," Quinn told her softly.

Rachel gasped and halted all movement, inadvertently pulling Quinn to stop as well. Her eyes went wide as she ran that statement through her head a few times. "Are you serious?"

"I love you and the last three months have been the best of my entire life," Quinn replied with a smile. "I don't ever want to be with another person and I don't ever want you to be with another person. I want you to be mine forever."

"You sound like you're proposing," Rachel pointed out, still too shocked to even move.

"What if I am?" Quinn asked simply. Her grin spread as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black box.

Rachel gasped again, her hand flying to her mouth. "Quinn…"

Quinn popped the box open and inside was a gorgeous diamond set in a white gold band and it glittered in the sun. "Marry me."

"Yes," Rachel replied before she could even think about it.

"Really?" Quinn asked, her eyes wide and smile huge.

"Really," Rachel breathed.

Quinn pulled her into a hug and they stood intertwined for several long moments before they pulled apart. Quinn plucked the ring out of the box and slid it onto Rachel's finger smiling as she leaned in to kiss her.

"I love you," Rachel whispered against her lips.

"I love you too," Quinn replied.

Rachel pulled the blonde into her body again and closed her eyes. She wanted to burn this moment into her brain. The ocean breeze playing around them, the way the waves sounded when they crashed, the way Quinn felt in her arms, the way her skin smelled. It was a moment she knew she needed to keep locked away in her heart forever because it was the moment she knew her life was complete.

**XX**

A.N. Yay! They're engaged. That totally wasn't where I was going with that when I started that part, but I kinda loved the way it ended up. Please let me know what you guys think about it. Thank you so much for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

A.N. Hey guys! I got quite a few reviews for that last chapter so I thought I'd reward you all with another one. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

Enjoy!

**XX**

Rachel and Quinn sat huddled on the beach behind Rachel's house around a bonfire the girls had spent several minutes building. They hadn't shared the news of their engagement with the other girls yet and both had decided they would be telling the other two that night.

They both glanced up when they heard giggles coming from the house and both smiled when they saw the grin on Santana's face. It had been too long since they'd seen her smile like she was and they were both warmed to the core knowing that their two friends were so happy together.

"So are you doing it, or am I?" Quinn asked softly, leaning in close and pressing her lips to Rachel's cheek slowly, allowing her lips to linger, breathing in Rachel's entire being.

She was so in love it hurt.

"I think we can handle this between the two of us," Rachel replied just as softly, her eyes sliding closed as she soaked in the comforting presence of the girl next to her.

"Subtle and in control, right?" Quinn asked, pressing her forehead to Rachel's cheek. "So it's not like we're rubbing it in?"

Rachel nodded, sighing happily.

"Hey, lovebirds," Santana greeted as she and Brittany sat down across from them, Brittany leaning in close and looping an arm through one of Santana's.

"We brought more beer," Brittany informed them with a bright smile and shining eyes.

Rachel and Quinn exchanged a glance, both of them smiling silly grins. Santana caught the smiles and her eyes narrowed, unable to help the smile that slid across her lips.

"What is up with you two?" she asked.

"I asked Rachel to marry me," Quinn replied bluntly. "And she said yes."

"Very subtle," Rachel whispered in the second of silence that preceded the squeals from the other two girls as they leapt up, pulling the couple to their feet and pulled both girls into long hugs.

"Seriously?" Santana asked as she held Quinn against her. "I'm so damn happy for you guys."

"Thank you," Quinn whispered, tears shining in her eyes.

Santana pulled back enough and cupped the blonde's face gently, swiping at tears with her thumbs. "Don't cry, Q. This is awesome."

The girls swapped and Santana pulled Rachel into her arms next. "I couldn't be happier for you two."

"Thanks, San," Rachel whispered through her tears.

"Let's see the ring," Brittany requested as she bounced happily on the balls of her feet, swaying slightly due to the alcohol in her system.

Rachel held out her hand, thrilled to finally be able to wear the ring Quinn had given her. She'd been hiding it in her pocket all afternoon and she had been worried all day that she was going to lose it.

"Nice, Q," Santana commented with a wink.

"Very nice," Brittany agreed.

"We _so_ better be in the wedding," Santana said, pinning them both with a look.

"Of course," Rachel told them both.

Santana grasped Brittany's hand and pulled her towards the house. "Come on, B, we need champagne for this. Beer just won't do."

"Very controlled, by the way," Rachel teased the moment the other two were out of earshot.

"I couldn't help myself," Quinn replied with a laugh. "I hated seeing your hand all empty."

"So it was for the benefit of my poor, bare hand?" Rachel asked with a grin. Her bottom lip suddenly slid between her teeth and her forehead creased.

"What's up, Sweetie?" Quinn asked. She knew that look.

"I just wonder if you would let me have Santana as my maid of honor," Rachel mumbled softly, almost shyly.

Quinn grinned suddenly. "Of course I would. She's been my best friend for years, but like you said, she's like a sister to you. Besides, I think having B next to me would have a nice symmetry to it."

Rachel smiled, pulling Quinn into her arms. "You make me so happy."

"Ditto, baby," Quinn told her with a wink.

Santana and Brittany made their way back out to the bonfire carrying a bottle of champagne and four glasses.

Brittany passed a glass to each of them while Santana poured and when she was finished she set the bottle in the sand next to her and lifted her glass in a toast, her eyes on Quinn first. "You, Blondie have been by my side through some of the best times I've ever had and some of the worst and you've been nothing but the best friend a person could ask for. I love you dearly and to know you've found your soul mate makes my heart ache with happiness for you." She turned her eyes to Rachel. "And you. You're kind of amazing, Rachel. You've grown into one of the best friends I've ever had and I hate that we missed out on so many years that we could have been friends. To know that the two of you have found happiness in each other and that it's the kind of happiness that we know will stand the test of time makes me incredibly happy." She paused. "And totally jealous. Cheers."

"Eloquent as always, Santana," Rachel told her with a grin. "But thank you."

"Thank you," Quinn told her quietly.

The girls clinked their glasses together and each sipped their champagne.

"It doesn't go that well with beer," Rachel whined.

"That just means you need something stronger," Santana replied with a grin. "Then you can't even taste it."

Rachel watched as she took a swig from the tequila bottle at her feet. "You're going to be so sick."

"Mixing liquor and beer is never good," Quinn agreed.

"Lightweights," Santana muttered good-naturedly.

"So…indoor or outdoor?" Brittany asked, a dreamy, far away look in her eye as she thought about the wedding.

"Outdoor," they both answered at the same time. They exchanged a look and smiled.

"Big or small?" Santana asked, getting into the game.

"Small," they agreed again.

"Season?" Brittany asked.

"Winter," Rachel said.

"Summer," Quinn responded with a grin.

"You make no sense," Santana told Rachel.

"Oh come on," Rachel said. "Can't you see a reception overlooking Rockefeller Center at night with the ice skating and the tree and the snow? It would be gorgeous."

"You said outdoor," Santana pointed out.

Rachel shrugged. "Well, I just realized I'd rather have the season than the outdoor setting. I love Christmas in New York."

"I thought you were Jewish," Santana replied with a confused frown. "You're confusing the hell out of me."

"I am," Rachel told her. "But I love the caroling and the trees and the decorations and the music."

"But what about the beach at sunset," Quinn argued playfully. "It can be small and intimate then we can just have a party on the beach."

Rachel pouted, which caused Santana to burst out laughing. "See, getting married is the easy part. The wedding is the pain in the ass. Why do you think I skipped it?"

"We'll figure it out," Quinn assured Rachel softly, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Honestly I don't care how we do it, I just want to know you're mine forever."

"I'll be yours forever either way," Rachel assured her. "Whether it's the beach or in the city. Big or small, I'll be yours."

Quinn kissed her softly again. "I love you."

"Love you too," Rachel replied with a grin.

"Alright, girls, I'd love to stay and celebrate, but I think I'm going to bed," Santana announced suddenly. "The champagne is fighting back."

"Told you," Quinn pointed out.

"It's probably the tequila," Rachel told her. "That bottle of champagne was 500 dollars. The tequila was 20."

"That was a 500 dollar bottle of champagne?" Quinn asked, her eyes wide.

Rachel nodded. "It was a gift when I bought the house. I have a few famous neighbors and they drop off expensive housewarming gifts."

"Must be nice," Santana grumbled good-naturedly. She frowned and dropped back into the sand suddenly, looking a little green.

"Need some ginger ale?" Quinn asked.

Santana nodded. "I think so."

Quinn nodded and looked to Rachel, who was watching Santana.

"I'll be right in," Rachel assured her with a kiss, she tilted her head towards the girl sitting in the sand indicating that she wanted a few minutes alone with her.

Quinn nodded, a wicked glint in her eyes. "Don't be long. I have this fantasy of you in nothing but that ring underneath me tonight." She grinned when Rachel audibly gulped and she reached for Brittany's hand. "Come on, B, walk me in. I've had a few too many drinks I think."

Rachel watched them go for a moment before turning back to Santana, who was still sitting by the fire. She took a seat next to Santana and reached out to grab another beer herself. "You okay?"

Santana nodded. "I really am happy for you two."

"But?" Rachel wondered, knowing something was going on with her friend.

Santana shook her head, sighing heavily. "I'm worried about going home tomorrow."

"You spoke to your boss, right?" Rachel asked. "She knows the situation and she's alerting security in your building. We can figure out a way so you don't have to be alone until this blows over."

"He's gonna lose his mind," Santana muttered absently, not really paying Rachel any attention. She sighed. "He's going to flip."

"We won't let him anywhere near you," Rachel assured her, sliding an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "I don't care if I have to hire you a body guard. He won't be able to touch you."

Santana was quiet for a stretch of minutes and Rachel wondered if she was paying any attention to anything she was saying.

"Have you spoken to Brittany about how you're feeling?" Rachel asked softly.

Santana shook her head. "She doesn't need to deal with this."

"San," Rachel sighed. "Remember why you lost her in the first place?"

Santana opened her mouth to retort, but quickly shut it, scowling at the other girl. "So?"

"So let her in," Rachel ordered gently. "She loves you. Let her shoulder some of this."

"Do I have to?" Santana whined.

Rachel laughed. "Yes." She pulled the other girl to her feet.

"Fine," Santana grumbled as she brushed sand off her jeans. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"Be my maid of honor?" Rachel asked.

Santana's eyes got wide and she halted all movement to stare at Rachel for a long moment. "Seriously?"

Rachel nodded. "There's no one else I'd rather have up there with me. Well, except for Quinn, but that would be rather silly."

Santana pulled her into a tight hug, suddenly, causing Rachel to teeter a bit and nearly knock them both off balance. "I'd be so totally honored."

"Really?" Rachel asked hopefully.

Santana nodded against her. "Completely." She pulled back and cupped Rachel's face in both her hands. "I kind of love you, Rachel Berry."

Rachel grinned. "I kind of love you too."

"Come on," Santana said. They spent a moment throwing sand on the fire to put it out and she linked their arms and led them both back towards the house. They put the empty glasses in the sink and the remainder of the beer in the fridge before locking up and shutting of the lights for the night.

"Good night," Rachel called softly as she headed for the bedroom.

"Night, Rach," Santana replied as she climbed the steps. "Congrats again."

"Thank you," Rachel replied with a smile and a little wave. "See you in the morning.

**XX**

Santana pushed the bedroom door open quietly and entered the room she had been sharing with Brittany. The only light came from a small lamp in the corner that Brittany had covered with a scarf to dampen the light even more.

Brittany was standing at the edge of the bed, removing her jewelry and getting ready for bed and she turned when the door opened, a soft smile on her lips when she saw Santana.

"Tonight was a good night," Brittany sighed happily.

Santana realized that it had been a particularly good night. She had hardly thought a moment about her life back home. She knew she'd have to face it again soon but she'd been able to put it out of her mind for one night.

"It was a great night," Santana agreed.

Brittany pulled her sweater over her head leaving her in a tank top and jeans. She unbuckled her belt and slid her jeans down her legs before heading towards the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Santana sat on the edge of the bed and watched her. The simplest things that Brittany did set her heart ablaze and warmed her from the inside out in ways she thought she would never experience again in her life.

It was in that moment that she let her life back home creep back into the front of her mind, knowing that this happiness would be short lived.

"Are you okay?" Brittany asked as she pulled back the blankets on the bed.

Santana shook from her thoughts, realizing she'd been staring for longer than she thought. "I'm fine, B."

Brittany searched her face for a moment and frowned. "You're not. Why do you do that?"

Santana realized that she had reverted back to her old self and she sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to having someone to lean on. Q has been around but it's not the same."

Brittany moved towards her slowly. She nudged Santana's knees apart gently with her own and stood between the brunette's legs, her arms snaking around Santana's neck. She waited for dark eyes to meet hers. "Santana, I love you, but if you keep shutting me out I'm not sure I can do this with you again."

"B…"

Brittany shook her head. "I mean it."

Santana nodded, a sigh escaping her lips. "I promise I'll work on it."

Brittany leaned over enough to kiss her cheek and then sat down next to her, grasping her hand gently. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm scared to death," Santana admitted without hesitation. She suddenly realized how good it felt to admit her fear to Brittany. Like she didn't have to face it all on her own.

"Of what?" Brittany asked softly, wrapping an arm around Santana and squeezing her comfortingly.

"Going home. What if he's there, what if he tries to hurt me again? What if he tries to hurt you or Rachel or Quinn?"

"We'll figure something out," Brittany told her, idly running her fingertips up and down Santana's arm. "You can stay with me."

"He probably knows where you live," Santana muttered.

"San, we'll hire security if we need to," Brittany assured her quietly, pressing her lips to the brunette's temple.

Santana allowed her eyes to close as Brittany's lips lingered on her skin. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she tilted her head slightly so they were cheek-to-cheek, skin barely touching.

"You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now," Santana whispered.

"Trust me, I know," Brittany assured her in a soft voice.

Santana raised her left hand and placed it on Brittany's other cheek, keeping her close and she swallowed, her breath quickening.

Brittany's eyes closed as she simply breathed Santana in, loving how close they were but aching to be able to kiss her.

Santana's lips found her cheek once more and she pulled back. "I won't be able to stop myself if I don't right now."

"Make sure you're ready to take a week off once you're divorced because you and I won't be getting out of bed," Brittany told her, a playfully wicked smirk playing on her lips as she stood up and crawled into her side of the bed.

Santana groaned as those images flooded her mind and she dropped back on the bed, lying across Brittany's legs. "Trust me, I'm going to get this over with as soon as possible. Then you belong to me."

"Good," Brittany sighed happily as she snuggled into the blankets. "Come to bed."

"Kay," Santana agreed. She didn't move for a moment, soaking in this moment in the dark with Brittany because she knew the next morning would be one of the hardest she would ever have in her life.

**XX**

A.N. There's some drama on the horizon, let me tell you! We're gonna see Santana finally confront the ass she has to call her husband. Anyways, I hope you can take the time to leave me your thoughts. Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

A.N. Hey guys, sorry it's been a while! Enjoy!

**XX**

Rachel pushed the door open to the bedroom and stepped inside, smiling when she took in the appearance of the room. Quinn was lying in the middle of the bed, still fully dressed and on top of the blankets. Her hair was splayed out behind her like a golden halo and her eyes were closed.

She had taken the time to light every available candle in the room before Rachel returned, casting them both in a soft glow that made Quinn look even more beautiful to Rachel than she'd ever seen her.

Quinn's eyes opened when she heard the door close and her face broke out into a soft, loving smile when she caught sight of the other girl. "Hi." Her voice was soft, barely rippling the quiet of the room that was only punctuated otherwise by quiet music playing from the CD player across the room.

Rachel smiled, crossing the room slowly. She stopped at the edge of the bed, leaning over and placing her hands on either side of the blonde, crawling up her body slowly, dropping gentle kisses as she went until her weight was settled on Quinn comfortably.

She propped herself up on her elbow and gazed at the girl beneath her, brushing a few strands of blonde hair from Quinn's face, smiling when hazel eyes closed the instant her fingertips grazed her face.

Quinn slipped an arm around Rachel, her fingers sneaking up under Rachel's sweater and idly stroking her back.

"Your fingers are cold," Rachel whispered.

"You'll warm me up," Quinn whispered back. She grasped the hem of Rachel's sweater and began nudging it up her girlfriend's frame until Rachel sat up enough to remove it.

Quinn's fingers splayed against Rachel's chest, her fingertips idly stroking the brunette's collarbone. Her eyes opened and she smiled up at the girl hovering above her. "You're so beautiful."

Rachel pulled back slightly and found herself completely overwhelmed with a swell of love as she gazed down at Quinn who was watching her with the most heartbreakingly beautiful smile she'd ever seen.

"I love you so much."

Quinn smiled reached out and wrapped slender fingers around her girlfriend's wrist gently, tugging her down again. She pulled Rachel in for a slow kiss, wrapping her fingers in dark locks to keep her close. She didn't want anything about this night to be rushed. She wanted every moment seared in her brain for the rest of her life.

Rachel's hand found the hem of Quinn's sweater and she slid it up the blonde's torso slowly, her fingers dancing over the exposed skin the sweater left in its wake, making Quinn giggle as fingers found ticklish spots on her belly. She sat up long enough to pull the sweater over her head and with Rachel's help she discarded her jeans as well.

Quinn suddenly flipped them over, reversing their positions and her lips found Rachel's pulse point, dropping slow steady kisses there. Her right hand found Rachel's left and she laced their fingers, smiling as she felt the engagement ring between her fingers and as foreign as it felt, it felt so right on Rachel's hand.

Quinn felt Rachel smile into the kiss as well and she knew they were on the same page. She reached behind Rachel with her other hand and popped the clasp on her bra, feeling it loosen around the brunette's body and she tugged at it with one hand as her lips sought soft skin on Rachel's chest. She felt Rachel making quick work of her bra and once it was out of the way she pulled the other girl impossibly close to her, breathing her in and loving how close she was to the person that meant the entire world to her.

Rachel was suddenly clutching onto her tightly and the energy in the room suddenly shifted. Quinn slid a thigh between her girlfriend's and Rachel reacted instantly, rocking against her leg as their lips crashed together. Quinn tugged on Rachel's jeans and they separated for a few frustrating seconds to both remove the rest of their clothes and they both moaned when their bodies collided once again. Hands were suddenly everywhere, lips seeking skin wherever possible.

Rachel slid a hand between them and eased into Quinn gently, smiling when the blonde grasped her forearm to keep her there. She watched the crease form in Quinn's brow as her eyes closed for a moment.

When they opened again, they locked onto Rachel's. Quinn pressed her forehead to the girl's beneath her as they rocked together, their lips separated by a breath.

Rachel felt Quinn tighten around her fingers and her body shudder slightly, signaling that she was close so she rocked just slightly faster to keep up.

Quinn could feel how close she was but she wanted so badly for the two of them to come together so she waited, pushing the orgasm down just enough. When she felt Rachel shudder beneath her she let go as well and she found herself tumble over the edge harder than she ever had in her life.

Their breathing evened out a minute later and Quinn shifted her weight off of Rachel enough so the brunette could turn on her side towards her.

"That was kind of intense," Rachel said softly, her fingers idly stroking the curve of Quinn's hip.

"Definitely the best I've ever had," Quinn agreed with a sleepy smile.

Rachel grinned at Quinn's tired expression, running a hand over her hair affectionately and kissing her lightly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Quinn replied with a grin of her own. She laced their fingers again and gazed down at their hands, loving how her girlfriend's looked with the engagement ring on it.

"I'm so happy," Rachel breathed softly, her face tucking into the crook of Quinn's neck, her voice sounding sleepy.

"I am too, sweetie," Quinn whispered as she pulled Rachel tighter to her body and waited for sleep to consume them both.

**XX**

Santana hadn't spoken ten words since they'd left Rachel's house in the Hamptons. She was visibly nervous about her planned confrontation with Richard. She'd been shaky all morning, spilling her coffee and dropping her bags, nearly tripping over herself getting into the car. Brittany had tried her best to quell the brunette's nerves but it was obvious that nothing but actually getting things over with would make her feel better.

They were pulled into the parking lot at the hospital the other three girls waiting patiently for Santana to ready herself for what was about to happen, Brittany silently holding her hand.

Santana suddenly scooted up in the seat, squeezing between the front two seats enough to grasp the rearview mirror and tilt it so she could see her face. The bruises had all darkened into sickening shades of deep purples and browns over the last few days and she knew she looked horrible but it would make it all the better when his co-workers and bosses saw her looking the way she did.

"Let's go," she told them all softly.

They climbed out of the car and surrounded her in a tight line, trying to offer her as much support as they could.

They rode the elevator down two flights and entered the hospital through the front doors. Sunlight poured into the lobby, casting bright spotlights onto her face, highlighting every bruise.

She knew people were staring and part of her wanted to turn and run away on wobbly legs, but instead she strode directly to the front desk, nearly wincing when the receptionist gasped.

"Hello, Angela," she greeted politely.

"Mrs. Barstow," she gasped. "Are you alright? Should I page your husband and tell him that you've been hurt?"

"Oh he knows," Santana replied, implying _everything._ The girl's eyes got wider. "But if you could page him, that would be very helpful."

She nodded. "Right away."

It worked exactly like it had in high school. One person saw something scandalous and suddenly thirty-four people knew. She could almost see the chatter filtering from one person to the next, casual movements separating pairs of people and bringing them together again. She could hear them and see them peeking around corners to get a better view of her. The only thing that kept her from running away was the presence of the three girls standing behind her.

Richard rounded a corner and his eyes widened with panic for a moment before a calmness settled over his features as he strode towards them. "Sweetheart," he greeted, moving to kiss her cheek. He glared at her when she pulled away and he missed the way Rachel's hand tightened on Quinn's wrist when she moved towards him.

"Perhaps we can take this conversation somewhere private," he suggested, smiling, keeping the façade up as he noticed more and more people watching.

"Behind closed doors so you can hit me again?" she asked, not bothering to keep her voice down.

His eyes suddenly narrowed and he leaned in close to her. "Shut your fucking mouth, Santana." His voice was low and even.

Quinn felt herself lunging towards him again, stopping only when Rachel actually moved to stand in front of her. "Easy," she whispered.

Richard only then seemed to notice their presence as well. "Can I help you girls?"

Quinn opened her mouth to retort when Santana cut her off. "I want a divorce."

"Excuse me?" He approached, his frame hulking over her and this time she didn't flinch or back up a step like she usually did. Instead she set a defiant look on her face and stared him down, arms crossing over her chest.

She suddenly thrust a set of papers towards him. "I'm leaving you." She grinned. The Head Bitch in Charge grin. "And just so you know, I'm pressing charges for the other night." She turned on her heel and began walking away, a smug smile on her lips. The other girls turned as well, the four of them ignoring the stares as they made their way out of the lobby.

Suddenly a growl erupted behind them and Santana was suddenly blinded by the blow to her back as she toppled to the ground with Richard on top of her. Her head hit the floor hard and her vision blackened around the edges as she struggled to keep consciousness.

Screams and shouts pierced the quiet of the lobby, onlookers and the girls themselves were caught completely off guard by the attack and there was a mass of limbs as Quinn, Brittany and Rachel jumped into the scuffle to try to pull him away.

A rather large security guard was suddenly added to the mix as he struggled to pull the doctor off his wife and another guard arrived a moment later and the two of them finally got Richard under control.

"I will kill you for this!" he screamed, spittle flying from his mouth, his face red and twisted in rage as he struggled against the two men holding him back.

"Sir, if you don't calm down, we'll be forced to subdue you!" the guard told him as Richard struggled in his grasp.

"Fuck you," he exclaimed, shoving the first guard and lunged for Santana again.

The second guard tackled him to the ground and tasered him before he could get to the girl still on the floor trying to recover from the hit she'd taken.

"Santana are you alright?" Brittany asked as she gathered the other girl in her arms. "You're bleeding."

The brunette blinked hard several times, her vision still swimming. "I'll be fine." Her hand pressed to her forehead above her left eye and she winced at the pain and the sticky feel of the blood against her palm. "Are you okay, B?"

Brittany nodded, holding her closer. "I'm okay."

Santana tuned out the rest of the world in that moment. It became chaotic and loud as nurses swarmed her, trying to stop her bleeding and they asked too many questions. She barely registered that Brittany was answering for her as she was lifted into a wheelchair and wheeled back into the ER.

**XX**

An hour later, it was calm.

Santana was lying on a stretcher in the emergency room, her eyes closed with Brittany sitting on the edge of the bed holding her hand.

Richard had been arrested for his little outburst, and resisting arrest, and Santana had spent the better part of that hour talking to police about not only the incident in the lobby, but the night he attacked her as well.

She had been taken in immediately for scans of her head and neck and they were waiting for the results before they could leave the ER.

"Good news, Mrs. Barstow," the doctor greeted as he parted the sheet and stepped into their little room. "You only have a minor concussion so we'll see about getting you out of here."

"Thank you," she whispered, cracking one eye open, wincing against the bright lights.

He smiled sympathetically. "You'll be light sensitive for a few days and probably have headaches and some pain in your neck but you should be just fine in a few days. I'll get you some after care instructions for your stitches as well."

"Thanks, Doc," she told him with a pained smile.

"And forgive me for saying this, but I never really liked your husband much," the doctor told her with a wink. "He was a self-righteous ass most of the time."

Santana laughed, wincing as a burst of pain ripped through her. "You're right about that."

"If you have any trouble, come right back and see me," he told her. "I'll be here all night."

"I will," she promised. "Thank you."

He had her sign some forms and then an orderly wheeled her out front where Rachel was leaned against Quinn's car on her cell phone.

"Thank you very much," she was saying as they approached. She flipped her phone closed and smiled. "How are you feeling, Santana?"

"I'll be okay," she replied with a tired smile.

"Well I booked us the Royal Terrace Suite at the Plaza for a week," Rachel told them as they climbed into the car.

"What?" Quinn asked, looking at the brunette like she was a bit crazy.

"It's perfect," Rachel assured her. "Two bedrooms, two and a half baths. Over 2,000 square feet. The hotel has an amazing spa and fantastic security and room service."

"We have apartments, Rach," Santana pointed out, rather amused by her friend's latest antics.

"Well I wasn't sure if you would even want to go back to yours and I just figured this gives us a week to figure out plans," Rachel told them. "And I can book longer if we need to. But this way we can stay together."

Santana thought that was probably one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for her and she was touched by Rachel's thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Rach."

Rachel beamed. "You're welcome." She nodded towards the car. "Come on. Let's go."

The girls climbed into the car and took off towards the Plaza, hoping the drama was all behind them for the time being, because none of them felt they could really handle any more.

**XX**

**A.N. **Again, it's taken forever and I'm sorry. I hope you'll leave me some thoughts on this one. Thank you so much for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

A.N. I know, I know…it's been forever. Honestly I was stuck on this first part of this chapter. I'm trying really hard to balance the R/Q with the S/B and I'm not really sure how Santana managed to emotionally hijack this entire story. I don't really mind because I'm just a bit in love with her at the moment but I'm trying to keep things fair and even.

Anyways, I made this one rather long to hopefully make up for the fact that it's been a while since the last update.

Enjoy!

**XX**

Quinn was still completely blown away by the glitz of the hotel room they would be staying in for the next week. She knew the room would be costing her girlfriend a small fortune but she knew that Rachel had her mind made up about the four of them staying close for Santana's sake and she couldn't be talked out of something once she had her mind made up.

She and Rachel would be staying in the upstairs portion of the suite so the terrace was adjacent to their bedroom and she had to admit she was looking forward to seeing the city she loved so much lit up at night from 22 floors up.

She watched as Santana stood up from the couch, mumbling something about a headache and moved towards the bedroom. Brittany was up an instant later, trailing behind her to make sure she was okay. She hadn't seen Rachel for a while so she decided to investigate.

She ascended the steps and as she got closer to the bedroom she heard water running and Rachel humming, bringing a smile to her face. Quinn stepped into the bedroom and she closed the door and headed for the bathroom, leaning against the doorway as she watched Rachel lighting candles and adding bubbles to the bathtub. There was a bottle of wine at the foot of the tub so she decided to make herself useful and pour two glasses.

Rachel almost felt Quinn's presence before she caught sight of the blonde girl who owned her heart. She knew her absence would cause Quinn to come looking for her so she wanted to have a little surprise waiting for her when she did.

Rachel approached Quinn and took both wine glasses from her hands. She set them gingerly on the edge of the tub and she wrapped her arms around the blonde and kissed her slowly. Her hands began slowly removing Quinn's shirt, only relinquishing the blonde's lips to pull it up over her head.

They undressed each other slowly and slid into the tub, both sighing as they settled into the hot water, Quinn behind Rachel.

"This was a genius idea," Quinn whispered before pressing a kiss to the damp skin on Rachel's shoulder.

The diva smiled and nodded, snuggling deeper into her girlfriend's embrace. "You don't mind staying in a hotel for a few days do you? I realize I never really ran my idea by any of you. I just sort of acted."

"Honestly I could care less where I am as long as you're with me," Quinn replied softly, raising one hand to run the pads of her fingers down Rachel's arm. "And I meant the bath, not the hotel."

Rachel nodded absently. "Today was really scary," she admitted suddenly. "If I had known it would end like that I never would have encouraged Santana to confront him."

"None of us would have, Rach," Quinn told her softly, kissing her neck and squeezing her gently. "I think Santana felt like she needed to stand up to him though. It was an important step for her to regain some of who she used to be."

"I understand that," Rachel agreed. "I just wish she could regain her former self without getting beat up."

"Me too," Quinn said with a sigh. She decided to change the subject to a happier matter. "So have you told your dads about the engagement yet?"

Rachel shook her head. "Not yet."

Quinn fought the urge to give into the hurt she felt at her girlfriend's answer. "Why not?"

Rachel caught the inflection in the blonde's voice and she turned to face her, frowning at the hurt she caught in Quinn's eyes. "Quinn, they'll be here in a few weeks for Christmukkah. I wanted us to both tell them together. In person."

Quinn nodded, some of her hurt seeping away. "Okay."

Rachel suddenly grinned. "I promise it's not because I'm hesitant to tell them. They'll be thrilled for us."

"Even after I broke your heart in high school?" Quinn asked. The truth was she was admitting one of her biggest fears in that moment. She was terrified Rachel's fathers would hold high school against her and never truly accept her as Rachel's girlfriend or partner or anything really.

Rachel frowned again at the tone of Quinn's voice and she maneuvered herself in the large tub so she could turn sideways and face the blonde better. "Quinn, I've spoken to them at great lengths about the entire situation. From high school to present and they both understand the circumstances surrounding our break up in high school and they know how undeniably happy you make me now."

Quinn nodded and suddenly grinned when a thought came to her. "I can't wait to see you try to keep that secret from them for three weeks."

Rachel rolled her eyes and turned herself back around in the tub, settling into the blonde's arms again. Her bottom lip slid between her teeth for a moment. "So…"

Quinn waited for something to follow that word and when nothing did she dropped a kiss to Rachel's neck. "So…"

"What about your parents?" Rachel asked softly.

Quinn suddenly froze. She hadn't been expecting Rachel to go there with the conversation and it certainly made her pause. "What about them?"

"I'm assuming you're not going to be telling them?" Rachel asked after a moment.

Quinn nodded. "You assumed correctly."

Rachel wanted to say so many things in that moment to comfort Quinn. She wanted to say she didn't need them or that one day her father would regret not being there to walk her down the isle, but she couldn't vocalize one of them because she knew if the situation were reversed she would be heartbroken if her fathers weren't at her wedding.

"I'm sorry." It was all Rachel could say in that moment.

Quinn put on her brave face and smiled, shaking her head. "As long as I have you."

"Forever. I promise," Rachel whispered.

Quinn pulled her in close and nodded. She suddenly didn't feel much like a bath so she gently nudged Rachel forward and stood up.

"Quinn, wait," Rachel requested, frowning when Quinn didn't halt her movements. Instead the blonde pulled on a robe and wrapped her hair in a towel before leaving the room without another word.

Rachel hit the plug on the tub and stood up as well, pulling on a fluffy robe as she followed her girlfriend into the bedroom. She watched as Quinn dug through her suitcase for something to wear, growing more frustrated as each second ticked by. It wasn't long before she collapsed on the bed in a sobbing mess.

Rachel was by her side in an instant, pulling her close. "Quinn, I'm so sorry. You know better than anyone that I have no idea when to shut my mouth."

Quinn sniffled and shook her head. "It's not you."

"Maybe you should tell them," Rachel suggested carefully. "What's the worst that can happen? They might disown you more?"

"I don't know." Quinn sighed heavily and swiped at her tears.

Rachel kissed her gently. "You never know, they might surprise you."

Quinn nodded after a moment. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," Rachel said softly. She stood up and gathered Quinn's clothes, putting them back into her suitcase before moving it to the floor. She pulled the blankets down on the bed and shut out the lights. She discarded her robe and slid between the blankets, smiling when Quinn followed suit and snuggled up to her a moment later.

"I love you, Rachel," Quinn told her softly.

Rachel smiled. "I love you too."

**XX**

The next morning Santana was up early to shower, still not used to staying in the huge suite that Rachel had booked for them. She was reluctant to get out of bed with Brittany wrapped around her protectively, like she had been every night since Richard had attacked her, but she knew she had to face her boss and co-workers eventually.

She had spoken to her boss over the phone at great length about the situation with her husband and they had been e-mailing files back and forth while the girls had been away, but her boss hadn't seen her yet and she knew it was going to be an interesting morning.

Once she was out of the shower she spent several long, tedious minutes applying enough make up to try to cover the dark bruises on her face. Her eyebrow was stitched up and her face was still rather swollen on the left side from that night, but with make up covering the worst of it she felt like she could make an appearance in public and not scare any small children like she had the night before waiting for her pain medication in the drug store down the street.

Once she was dressed she propped herself on the edge of the bed and watched Brittany sleep peacefully for a moment. Her eyes closed instinctively as she felt the all too familiar ache in her chest like she did any time she took a moment to process her feelings for the girl sleeping next to her. It was the good kind of ache. The kind that she thought she would never feel again. She welcomed the way the blonde stole her breath from her lungs and left her feeling love-stuck and bewildered with just a look.

"B?" she whispered, running her fingertips down Brittany's arm, smiling as the blonde stirred under her touch.

"Not the duck," Brittany murmured, a crease appearing in her brow for a moment before she smiled in her sleep.

Santana's eyes welled as another wave of heart-stopping euphoria swept over her. "B, I have to go to work."

Brittany stirred deeper and her eyes fluttered open a moment later. "Hmm?"

Santana smiled lovingly at her, brushing a few strands of hair from her face gently. "I have to go."

Brittany frowned but nodded. "Will you call me later?"

"Of course," Santana promised immediately. She leaned down and pressed her lips to Brittany's cheek, allowing them to linger for a moment. She gazed down at the blonde for a moment. "I love you."

"Love you," Brittany replied instantly, a smile brightening her features.

"See you later, okay?" Santana asked, her hand pressing gently into Brittany's cheek, her thumb sweeping over the soft skin there for a moment.

Brittany nodded. "Have a good day."

"You too," Santana replied with a wink.

She stood from the bed and turned once she reached the door, trying to burn the image of Brittany stretching out languidly in bed, bathed in early morning sunlight, into her brain for all eternity.

Quinn and Rachel were nowhere to be seen so she scrawled a quick note to both of them before grabbing a coffee to go from the kitchen and she headed downstairs to catch a cab to her office.

As she stepped into her building twenty minutes later it seemed as though news of her attack had spread through the office already. She had only told a few people what had gone on, but knew that news would inevitably spread like wild fire. She didn't really care.

She rode the elevator up to the eleventh floor and stepped out, ignoring the gasps as several of her coworkers caught sight of her.

"Santana, how are you feeling?" the receptionist, Emily, asked once she caught sight of her. It seemed as though she was the only one not staring at Santana.

"Fine, thank you," Santana replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Is Amanda in?"

"She's in her office," Emily responded.

Santana nodded and offered one last half smile before heading to her boss's office and knocking.

"Come in," Amanda called from the other side.

Santana slid the door open and slipped inside. Her boss looked up for a moment and suddenly did a double take once she realized who it was. Her eyes got wide and her face paled.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "Santana."

"Hi," the Latina greeted softly, moving to sit in one of the chairs on the other side of Amanda's desk.

"Sweetie, are you alright?" Amanda asked, moving around to prop against the front of her desk so she could get a better look at the girl.

Santana nodded. "The few days away helped. Thank you for letting me go on such short notice."

"Of course," Amanda replied. "Tell me you've spoken to the police."

Santana nodded. "I confronted him yesterday when I got home. I went to the hospital and told him I was divorcing him and pressing charges. He attacked me in the lobby in broad daylight. He's in jail as we speak."

Amanda looked dumbstruck. "Sounds like he's completely unraveling."

"Pretty much," Santana agreed.

"So you're going to let me nail his balls to the wall, right?" Amanda asked.

Santana nodded. "Of course." She sighed. "He grabbed me about a month ago. It scared the hell out of me so I had security cameras installed when he was away on business."

Amanda's eyes got wide. "Do you have that night on tape?"

Santana nodded. "Every minute."

"Does he know that?" Amanda asked. Santana shook her head. "Well, he will soon." She was practically salivating at the thought of this case against him. "Listen, you let me handle everything, okay? I'll call in a few favors and see if we can't get your divorce expedited. And if you want to you can work from home for the rest of the week. I know it can't be easy being here."

"Are you sure?" Santana asked. "You've been really amazing with this. I don't want to ask anything more of you."

"Sweetie, you're one of my top attorneys," Amanda replied. "And you know I absolutely adore you personally. Whatever you need."

"Thank you, Amanda," Santana replied gratefully. "E-mail me anything day or night and I'll have it done for you."

Amanda considered that statement for a moment and frowned. "Are you not sleeping?"

Santana winced internally as she realized she let something slip. "I'm fine. Actually I'm staying with some friends at the Plaza for the week. My friend Rachel insists on staying close."

"She sounds like a good friend," Amanda said with a smile.

"The best," Santana agreed.

"Well you take care of yourself," Amanda told her. "If you need more time let me know and if you decide you ever want to talk to someone, you can always come to me or I can recommend someone that you can speak with professionally."

"I'll keep it in mind," Santana replied. "Thanks again."

"Take care, okay?" Amanda asked. "Promise?"

"I promise," Santana told her. She went from Amanda's office to her own to gather some files. She frowned when she saw the two-dozen red roses in an expensive vase on her desk.

"Julie!" she called.

Her assistant came running up behind her, pen and paper handy, ready to take notes. "Yes?"

"Where did these come from?" Santana asked, gesturing to the flowers.

"They were delivered the day before yesterday." Julie seemed to be waiting to be yelled at, but instead Santana dropped into her desk chair unceremoniously and sighed, rubbing her forehead with the pads of her fingers. "Can you please get rid of them once I'm gone?"

"Of course," Julie replied.

"I'll be working from home for the rest of the week," Santana told her as she gathered a few files and slid them into her bag. She checked a few e-mails and realized that Julie was still standing there staring at her. "What?"

Julie snapped out of it then, a blush erupting over her features. "Forgive me. I just wonder how you're holding up."

Santana was about to blow her off, but Brittany's voice rang in her head and she realized maybe letting some people in wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. "Honestly I feel like hell."

Julie set her with a sympathetic look. "If there's anything at all that I can do, please call me. Even if you need me to bring you some files at home."

"Technically I'm staying at the Plaza," Santana told her. "With some friends. But I appreciate it. Why don't you take the week off and I'll call you if I need anything."

"Really?" Julie asked, her eyes going wide.

Santana smiled. "Absolutely."

"Thank you," Julie told her with a smile.

Santana nodded and stood up. "I'll see you next week, okay?"

"I hope you feel better," Julie told her softly. "Call me for anything."

"Thank you," Santana replied.

She was quick to gather the rest of the files she would need before getting out of the building as soon as she could before the stares and whispers got to be too much. As a person who loved what she did, she was never happier to get the hell out of work as she was that morning.

**XX**

Santana dropped her purse, bag and keys next to the door of the hotel suite and shrugged out of her coat, tossing it over the back of a chair next to the door.

"Is someone here?" she heard Rachel call from the back of the suite.

"It's just me, Rach," she called back as she made her way back to the terrace where she guessed her friend was.

"Hey," Rachel greeted with a smile. She was sitting reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee in the sun. "Are you alright? I thought you went into work this morning."

Santana nodded. "I'm fine. I spoke with my boss and she told me I could work from here the rest of the week so I came back."

"That was nice of her," Rachel commented with a smile as she sipped her coffee. She watched the other girl carefully for a moment. "How are you holding up?"

Santana opened her mouth to reply with a standard 'I'm okay', but something stopped her and she shrugged. "My head is pounding, my neck hurts, my face hurts and I'm so tired I could throw up, but I can't sleep because I keep waiting for him to get out of jail and come find me and somehow kidnap Brittany in the middle of the night."

Rachel frowned. "I'm sorry you feel so terrible physically. But for the sake of your sanity and your sleep you should know that the front desk has his photo and all guests to our room have to be cleared by one of us. The security is top notch."

"But we can't hide here forever," Santana mumbled.

"We're not hiding," Rachel told her.

"Where's Q?" Santana asked, changing the subject entirely.

Rachel sighed, letting things drop. "At the restaurant. That ass she works for called her in to steal more of her ideas."

Santana sighed, opening her mouth to reply, but she froze when she heard a door open behind her.

"Rachel?" Kurt called out. "I'm here."

"Kurt's here?" Santana asked, panic suddenly flooding her. She didn't want anyone else to see what her husband had done to her.

"Do you want me to ask him to leave?" Rachel asked softly.

Santana sighed and shook her head. "It's fine."

"Out here, Kurt!" Rachel called past Santana towards the stairway. She met the other girl's eyes. "He's early. I didn't know you'd be home. I'm sorry."

Santana closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"Oh, hi, Santana," Kurt greeted brightly as he stepped through the doorway onto the terrace.

"Hi, Kurt," Santana greeted without turning around. She met Rachel's eyes, who nodded encouragingly and Santana turned around to face their friend.

"How have y-," Kurt stopped short when he saw Santana's face. His jaw dropped open and his eyes widened as he took in the array of bruises on her face and the stitches holding her eyebrow together. "Oh my God." He glanced at Rachel for a moment before settling his gaze on Santana once again. "What happened to you?"

Santana swallowed, her lips pressing together in a thin line before she opened her mouth to reply. "Richard."

Kurt's face immediately darkened with her response. "He did this to you?" His jaw clenched when she nodded. "Santana," he breathed, his voice hitching. "Please tell me he's in jail or dead, because if he isn't I might have to go kill him myself."

"He was arrested yesterday afternoon," Rachel said softly.

"It's over," Santana told him. "I'm divorcing him."

Kurt's eyes went wide. "Oh my God."

Her jaw clenched and her eyes averted. "You really don't have to stare."

His eyes averted instantly and he nodded. "I'm sorry."

Santana's face suddenly paled. "What am I doing?" It was as if everything that had gone on over the last two days were just hitting her.

"You're doing the right thing," Kurt told her, concerned by the panic coloring her voice.

"What he did to you was not okay," Rachel told Santana sternly. "None of it was okay." She moved towards her and grasped both her hands. "If he had done this to someone else, what would you have told her?"

"I know. Logically that makes sense to me," Santana told them softly. "But part of me wants to have a panic attack just thinking about what he would do if he gets out."

"Can he be released?" Kurt asked.

Santana gave a short shake of her head. "He was denied bail."

"So you're safe," Kurt replied softly.

"I keep telling you that security is top notch here," Rachel muttered, slightly annoyed that she had to keep repeating herself.

"Yeah, _here_, Rach," Santana reminded her. "But if he's acquitted or his legal team - who will be a bunch of overpriced, high profile attorneys - are able to get a judge somewhere to grant him bail, then what? He can wander around the city all he wants to. I could see him on the subway or-"

"You don't take the subway," Rachel interjected absently, shrinking back under the heat of the glare Santana sent her way.

Santana froze when she saw the look on her friend's face and she stopped immediately and closed her eyes, taking in a calming breath. "I'm sorry." She sighed, her bottom lip sliding between her teeth. "H-he'd be able to get to Brittany. He knows that's the only way he'd ever be able to hurt me."

Kurt grasped her hands gently and waited until dark eyes met his. "Santana, you'll make yourself crazy worrying about this. Someone would have to be notified if he was granted bail, right? Your boss?" She nodded. "Okay, well something tells me that she would tell you the moment she knew. Until then, just relax. You and Brittany are both safe and everything is going to be okay."

Santana tried to take comfort in his words but all she could really think about was Brittany and wondering what she was doing and missing her in general. She knew she would do anything to keep Brittany safe and in that moment she knew one thing she could do to help set her mind at ease. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket to make a note of her idea in her calendar and that's when she noticed an e-mail from her boss and the smile that broke out on her face wasn't missed by her friends.

"Good news?" Rachel asked.

Santana nodded, sliding her phone back into her jacket pocket. "My boss called in a few favors and she thinks we can get the divorce finalized sooner than we thought."

"That calls for a celebration," Kurt told her with a grin. "Come on, I'm buying you two lunch."

"Can we go to Q's restaurant?" Santana asked. "I'll call B to see if she wants to meet us there."

"Sounds perfect." Rachel nodded and pulled her phone from her pocket to let Quinn know they would be coming by.

Santana was shooting Brittany a similar text and they both looked up to see Kurt blushing as he read something from his phone.

"Are you two finally in the sexting phase?" Santana asked with a smirk.

Kurt's eyes went wide when he realized he'd been caught and he shook his head quickly, slipping his phone into his pocket. "I have no idea what you're referring to."

"Sure you don't," Santana teased as she pulled the two of them back into the suite so they could get ready to go to lunch.

She knew in that moment she and Brittany were safe and she supposed that would have to be enough. All she could really do was take things day by day until he was locked up for good. She just hoped she wouldn't have to wait too long.

**XX**

A.N. Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. There's more drama to come and hopefully you won't have to wait too long for it this time. Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought!


	21. Chapter 21

A.N. Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews for this story! It's definitely been my most successful story to date and I'm glad you guys stuck with it. I know it's been forever since my last update and I'm sorry. A lot going on…plus a new story I'm working on called The Quest for Rachel Berry's Heart. Check it out if you get a chance.

Enjoy!

**XX**

Santana was seated in the living room on her laptop, working on a few files when she heard someone shuffle into the room behind her. She craned her neck around to see Quinn.

"Hey, Q," she greeted with a smile.

"Hi," Quinn replied as she poured herself and Santana a cup of coffee and moved into the room to take a seat next to her brunette friend. "Whatcha working on?"

Santana shook her head. "Nothing major. Just a few files. What are you doing here?"

Quinn yawned behind her hand and sipped her coffee. "We're closed today. They're fumigating or something."

"Where's Rach?" Santana asked.

"The theater," Quinn told her. "She has a new understudy so they're doing some rehearsing. She'll be home soon."

"B should be home early too," Santana told her.

"We should all go to lunch."

Santana nodded and opened her desktop calendar to make some notes and that's when she noticed the date. Her eyes scanned the calendar about ten days back and she read the note to herself, dread suddenly filling her. "Damn it."

"What?" Quinn asked.

Santana closed her eyes and her head dropped, willing her tears away. "I'm late."

Quinn's eyes went wide at the admission. "You're kidding."

Santana shook her head slowly, wishing she was joking. "I haven't been late since sophomore year."

"Maybe it's just stress," Quinn assured her. "You've been through a lot lately."

Santana wasn't really listening. She was willing herself not to cry.

"San, look at me," Quinn requested quietly, reaching out to grasp her friend's hands in hers. Once dark eyes met hers she continued. "Honey, don't stress yourself out until we know for sure. We'll run out and get a test and then you'll know."

Santana looked at her with pleading eyes. "Quinn…"

The blonde nodded. "I know. Do you want to wait here? I'll run down."

Santana shook her head and stood up. "No. I'll make myself crazy if I stay."

Quinn stood up as well and headed to hers and Rachel's room to change. Twenty minutes later the two of them were standing outside a drugstore with Santana looking a little green.

"I can't go in there," she whispered.

Quinn smiled sympathetically. "I'll go. I'm sure it'll be easier buying one now than when I was sixteen."

Santana suddenly felt a wave of guilt rush over her. "I'm so sorry I was such a bitch back then to you. I should have been there."

Quinn smiled and shook her head. "San, it was a long time ago and trust me when I say that you weren't there because I didn't let you in. You tried."

"Still," Santana argued.

Quinn shook her head and hugged the brunette quickly. "Stop. I'll be right out."

Santana nodded and took in a deep, calming breath as Quinn disappeared into the drug store.

**XX**

Quinn was perched on the edge of the bed and checked her watch. It had been much longer than the three minutes the test needed and she was growing worried about her friend so she stood up and moved across the room.

"Santana?" Quinn called, rapping on the bathroom door lightly.

"Read it again," Santana requested, panic coloring the tone of her voice.

Quinn scanned the paper. "Plus is positive, minus is negative." She heard her friend sigh through the door.

Santa fought off her tears of frustration and sat on the edge of the tub, the pregnancy test clutched in her hand. "What if it's neither of those?"

Quinn frowned. "What is it?"

"A diamond."

"Try the other one," Quinn suggested. "Maybe that one is defective."

"Okay."

Quinn sighed heavily to herself and perched on the edge of the bed again to wait another three minutes when she heard Santana's voice.

"Will you come in here and wait with me?"

Quinn stood up and entered the bathroom, moving to sit next to her friend, grasping her hand gently. "You're going to be fine."

"What the hell am I gonna do if I'm pregnant with his baby?" Santana whispered, her eyes welling.

"Don't cry, San," Quinn whispered.

"After everything I've gone through lately and I'm so close to having B to myself. This would be a giant karmic slap in the face and I'm getting _really_ tired of getting hit in the face."

"Let's wait and see what the test says, then we'll figure it out," Quinn told her quietly.

Santana nodded and sat silently until three minutes had passed. She looked to Quinn and the blonde nodded, instantly knowing what she needed.

Quinn stood up and crossed the bathroom, picking up the plastic stick.

"What does it say?" Santana asked.

Quinn frowned. "It's a triangle."

"This isn't even funny," Santana muttered as she stood up and strode across the room, ripping the test from Quinn's hand and looked at it, throwing it in the trash nearby. "I'm suing this damn company the next chance I get."

Quinn smiled and shook her head. "We'll just have to go to the doctor."

Santana pouted. "I hate doctors."

"You married a doctor," Quinn pointed out. "A bastard asshole doctor, but still."

"Yeah, you see where that got me," Santana replied. She huffed a sigh. "Fine. I'll make an appointment in the morning. What's the point of the morning after pill if it doesn't even work?"

"I'm sure it's just stress," Quinn told her gently.

"We're home!" Rachel called out as she and Brittany entered the suite.

"Shit!" Santana hissed. "Hide that stuff. I don't want anyone but you to know."

"San," Quinn sighed, hating the thought of lying to Rachel.

"Just until I've been to the doctor," Santana pleaded. "Please, Q."

"You so owe me," Quinn replied with a smirk as she tossed the other test into a bag and tied it up and hid it the best she could in the trashcan.

"Hey," Rachel greeted as she appeared in the doorway. "What are you guys doing?"

they exchanged a panicked look and Santana opened her mouth. "Q was helping me with these stitches."

"Oh, are you alright?" Rachel asked.

Santana nodded, eyeing the trashcan carefully to make sure nothing could be seen before meeting Rachel's eyes. "I'm fine."

"Okay," Rachel replied, eyeing her suspiciously for a moment. "What time are the guys coming by?"

Quinn checked her watch. "They should be here in about an hour. Should we make some drinks?"

"Some Irish coffee would be good," Santana replied with a nod. "Anything alcoholic actually."

"Santana," Quinn started, her eyes unconsciously dropping to the brunette's stomach, thinking about the tests she had just taken.

"Actually, I have to run out for a few hours," Santana announced, formulating a Plan B in that instant. "I have to drop a file off at work and talk to my boss about a few things."

"Want some company?" Quinn asked, knowing her friend was sneaking out to find a doctor's office that would take her right away.

Santana shook her head. "I need to be alone for a while. But thanks."

"Call me if you need me," Quinn told her.

Santana nodded and offered a bewildered looking Rachel a small smile as she passed. She dropped a kiss to Brittany's cheek. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay," Brittany replied, knowing there was more to the story, but not pushing.

"Drinks?" Quinn asked when the door shut, noting that the other two seemed to be staring at it, each of them knowing there was more going on than they knew about.

Rachel turned back to her first and nodded. "How was your morning?"

"Quiet," Quinn replied with a shrug.

Brittany tuned them out as she continued to stare at the door. She was quickly growing tired of Santana shutting her out and she was hoping that this time the brunette would let her in without having to be pushed too hard.

**XX**

"Hi, guys," Rachel greeted as she pulled the door open and found Kurt and Marcus on the other side with a bottle of wine.

"Hello, Rachel," Marcus replied with a smile, handing her the bottle and kissing her cheek.

"Hey, Rach," Kurt said, smiling and kissing her other cheek.

"Come in." She waved them in and closed the door behind them, locking it carefully. She led the two men through the penthouse suite and upstairs onto the terrace where Quinn and Brittany were chatting and sipping drinks.

"Wow," Marcus whispered as he stepped into the chilly night. "Nice view, ladies."

"What do you guys want to drink?" Rachel asked. "We have everything. We just made some Irish Coffee if you'd like some."

"That sounds amazing," Kurt agreed and Marcus nodded, rubbing their hands together as they took a seat around the fire that was burning in the outdoor fireplace. "Why are we sitting outside anyways?"

"Because it'll be dark soon and we want to watch them light the Christmas tree from up here," Quinn told him with a smile. "It should be pretty amazing."

"Ooh, sounds very festive," Marcus said with a smile.

"Hey, guys, sorry I took so long," Santana announced with a bright smile as she approached the group.

"How was the office?" Quinn asked anxiously.

"Everything is perfect," Santana replied with a nod. "You were right. Going in to talk things over was the right decision."

"Good," Quinn replied with a smile.

"I'll take one of those, Rach," Santana told her as she dropped into the empty seat next to Brittany and kissed her cheek.

"How exactly did I become the waitress?" Rachel asked with a grin. She knew something was going on with Quinn and Santana and she hated the flash of hurt that shot through her knowing she wasn't included in whatever it was going on. She tried to ignore it for the time being so she could enjoy time with her friends, figuring she could probably get the truth out of Quinn later anyways.

"You'd look cute in the apron," Brittany noted with a smile.

"Gee thanks," Rachel mumbled good-naturedly. "Marcus did you see David the other day when he stopped by the theater?" she asked as she handed the others their drinks.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "He tried to apologize again. Naturally I sent him on his merry little way. What was he even doing there?"

"Trying to talk Phillip into giving him another role," Rachel said with a roll of her eyes. "I hope we never have to work with him again."

"Who is this now?" Quinn asked with a smile, loving when Rachel got all huffy about Broadway drama. It totally turned her on.

Rachel took her seat and sipped her drink. "He used to be in Chicago with us but one night he showed up drunk and ruined the show then had a bit of drama backstage."

"He's also my ex," Marcus added with a shake of his head.

"What happened?" Brittany asked, too curious to care that it might not have been the best question to ask with Kurt sitting next to him.

"He cheated," Marcus told them with a shrug.

"He didn't cheat," Rachel told him. "But he was a drama queen."

"I think it all depends on what you think is cheating," Marcus said. He turned to Kurt and kissed him quickly. "Not that I care either way. I ended up with this beautiful man so it worked out for the best."

Rachel grinned. "It definitely did."

"I'm confused," Quinn announced. "Isn't cheating is pretty easy to define?"

"Yes." Rachel nodded.

"Not necessarily," Marcus said. "Most people define cheating as a physical act, I think that the emotional connection two people can develop can constitute cheating."

"An emotional connection is cheating?" Quinn asked with a laugh. "No way. Acting on that connection is cheating, not the connection itself."

"Actually I disagree," Kurt said. "You can go out and get drunk and kiss someone if you get swept up in a moment and it means nothing. But if you connect with someone and want to cheat but you don't act on it, I think that's nearly as dangerous."

"So according to you I cheated on Richard?" Santana asked.

Kurt blanched. "I…"

"The connection Brit and I have is deeper than anything I've ever had with another human being," she told him. "But I've never acted physically on my emotions. Did I cheat on my husband?"

"Honestly?" he asked after a moment. "I think you did. Not that he didn't deserve it, but emotionally you checked out of your marriage and gave those feelings to someone else."

"Nice to know what you really think," she replied with a scowl.

"I'm not saying what you did was wrong," Kurt told her. "Your marriage was over long before you checked out. He left first."

"So if I've already cheated, then why shouldn't I act on those feelings?" Santana wondered aloud. "To me it just seems like an easy way to justify acting on that connection. Not sure I buy it."

"Not really selling it," Kurt told her with a shrug. "Let's change the subject." He smiled when Santana nodded and he glanced at Quinn and Rachel. "Wedding plans?"

The couple instantly grinned. "We have set a date," Rachel told him happily.

Quinn smirked. "We decided on July 11th, at the beach."

Santana laughed and poked Rachel. "She got you to cave, huh?"

Rachel suddenly got a bit huffy, but everyone could tell it was all in fun. "The truth of the matter is, I didn't want to wait an entire year to plan out a huge wedding in New York. All the good venues are booked at least a year in advance."

"Riiight," Santana drawled with a smirk.

"The beach sounds like it will be gorgeous," Kurt told them dreamily.

"That reminds me," Rachel said, her eyes on Kurt. "Any chance you would consider making my dress?"

His eyes got wide and his brain instantly began putting together a gorgeous dress for a beach wedding.

Rachel grinned. "Kurt?"

He came back to the present and nodded. "Absolutely. I'd be honored." He spaced out again as he began thinking fabric.

"He's gone to his happy place," Marcus commented, watching Kurt fondly.

Kurt barely registered that everyone around him laughed. He was certainly in his happy place.

**XX**

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and hopefully it won't be too long before my next update on this one. Please leave your thoughts!


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